Unbidden Family Reunions
by Leepet
Summary: The Loonatics go on a routine mission. But when they crash in the desert and find a group of exiled prisoners the mission turns into anything but ordinary. Things only get worse when Ace finds someone who he thought was dead, his long lost little sister.
1. Crash

**Disclaimer: I do not own ****Loonatics Unleashed****. Any and all characters that do not appear in the ****Loonatics Unleashed**** episodes are property of P. I Am Inc. And anything that Slam says, just pronounce exactly how it is spelled. I hope you like this fanfic. Enjoy!**

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**Unbidden Family Reunion: An Ace Bunny Story**

**Crash**

It started out as a usual mission. Zadavia called in about another villain trying to destroy the city and the Loonatics went out to stop it. But then things started to get weird…

"Great. And I have a TV show I wanted to watch!" Duck said, pouting in his chair on the ship. Everyone was sitting in their chairs on the ship.

"Get a grip Duck. At least he's away from the city." Lexi retorted as she typed a few things into a keyboard. "I've got nothing. Anybody else getting anything?"

Rev started talking very fast, "Nothing that I can see so far although it does seem a bit strange that he could just disappear off of out sensors like that I mean not everyone could do that and why do you think he lead us out here there's nothing out here but dirt dust and a few lizards There's nothing to steal or find out here unless you think dirt is something impor–"

"Rev, stop talking." Tech said annoyed. Sometimes that roadrunner could be so loud.

"Well we can't give up." Ace declared. "He's got to be somewhere. People don't just disappear." He was agitated. Everyone could tell, especially because he hit the arm of his chair.

"Nothing is showing up. Not even a lizard. This place is a lifeless dustbowl." Lexi said.

"Grahgetobefr!" Slam commented.

"You just ate!" Duck said. "Slam, you're despicable."

"Wait a minute; I'm picking something up on sensors." Tech said. He pulled up a picture on the main screen. It showed the desert. The group collectively turned to look and saw – nothing.

"What are we seeing exactly?" Lexi asked.

"Look at the very center." Tech commanded. And there in the center was a flicker of bright green. But as soon as it appeared it was gone.

"What is it Tech?" Ace asked.

"Well, I don't know." Tech admitted.

"You don't know?" Duck said incredulously. "That's a first."

"I don't think it was anything at all what else could it be besides a glitch in the system but is there any glitch in this system Tech?" Rev said.

"I guess there must be." Tech shrugged.

Ace shook his head. This team sure could be weird. He opened his mouth to say something when the ship rocked wildly. "Whoa!" he yelled as a second bump sent everyone out of their seats on top of Duck. Duck quacked out before he got squished.

Ace was the first one to the pilot seat. He tried to regain control of the ship but it was useless. "We're going down!" he called, confirming everyone's thoughts.

"We're doomed! Doomed!" Duck screamed.

Everyone else added to the yelling and screaming as the ship hurtled down to the ground and bounced a few times until it slid to a stop. The team disentangled themselves from the others and the random pieces of ship. They brushed themselves off. "Ifrat eglahwd Tech?" Slam asked.

"Over here." Called a strained and weary voice from a pile what used to be part of the ship. From underneath a large portion of roof green light flashed and Tech regenerated himself. "Ow." He rubbed his arm.

"What did we hit?" Ace asked.

"Something very large." Duck concluded.

"My baby!" Tech moaned. He sank to his knees in front of the largest piece of ship. "And I just upgraded it."

"So we're stuck here? In the middle of nowhere? This is wonderful." Lexi said sarcastically.

"Can you fix it?" Ace asked Tech.

Tech nodded. "Yeah, but we're going to need to pick up the rest of the ship first."

"Can't you just get it back with your powers?" Ace asked.

"No. It's too far apart. We're going to have to walk." Tech replied.

"Walk? Don't you have any of your gadget-thing-a-midgets-ma-bobbers??" Duck asked.

"Do I look like a hardware store to you?" Tech replied gesturing to the wreckage, "Does it look like I have anything?"

"No." Duck admitted.

"Then don't ask." Tech said angrily.

"Eh... what about the jetpacks Tech?" Ace asked.

Tech, as a reply, pressed a few buttons on his jetpack. There was a slight hum and then it exploded, leaving a pile of black dust and a few charred pieces of metal. After a few seconds the dust glowed green and Tech rematerialized in front of them.

"Twice in less than five minutes. That's gotta be a record." Duck laughed. Slam elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow! Ok, ok… jeez careful with the goods!"

"Tell me that's supposed to happen." Lexi said.

Tech growled under his breath, "Prey animals."

"Why don't I go and get the ship Tech? I bet I could get it all together in no time at all." Rev offered.

Tech shook his head. "You wouldn't be able to get all of it." The wind started to pick up.

"And we should try to find a better shelter. It looks like a bad storm." Ace said. So they started off. After every two miles or so another big piece of ship would appear in the distance, Tech would magnetize it a carry it along with them. The wind continued to howl around them.

After they had walked and flown a long way a green haze appeared in the distance. "Maybe that's what we hit." Rev commented.

Slam stared at the haze. "Makcletg!" He yelled and started to cyclone over to it.

"Slam wait up!" Lexi called after him. "It's not food!" The rest of the team followed her. Duck quacked out and appeared in front of Slam.

"And just where do you think you're going?" he asked.

Slam pointed at the haze. "Cool shade." Duck looked around at the haze. They were much closer and you could see inside of it were trees and flowers. It looked tropical… almost.

The rest of the team caught up. "An oasis?!?" Tech asked. "There's no way we hit that and crashed. He walked up to it. "But I wonder what this green haze stuff is… I've never seen it before." Tech put his hand up and touched it. His eyes widened in surprise.

"What is it Tech?" Ace asked.

"This is what we hit." Tech said.

Rev looked at the both of them. "So we hit an oasis it's better than if we were stuck in the desert with no water at least we have this green area it might be nice to relax and take a load off and who knows we might even meet some other people."

As if on cue a small girl approached them out of the trees. She was tan and had short gold hair. She looked no older than about 12 or 13. But she looked the Loonatics over as if she knew all about them. 'But a lot of people know about us.' Ace thought. She stared at Ace for a minute and then spoke in a high girlish voice. "How did you get here?" she asked.

"We were flying overhead and crashed. We hit your oasis thing and now we're stuck here." Duck said.

Lexi quickly stepped in front of Duck, before he could scare the girl away, and bent down to the girl's height. She was good with kids. "Hi there. We're the Loonatics. We were flying overhead and crashed. Could you tell us where we are?"

"You're in the desert. About 2,000,000 miles from anywhere, and about 1,999,000 miles from nowhere." She shrugged. "But why were you flying? You guys don't look like a research team." The girl put her hand to her chin.

"We were trying to locate a villain. Our scanners showed that he went out here." Tech said. This surprised everyone as Tech rarely spoke in front of strangers without being addressed directly.

"Cool. I bet you're tired. Why don't you come in and rest a while. I'm sure the Chief won't mind, I hope. And everyone else will be glad to see a new face." She turned around and gestured to them. "Follow me!" she said. "The Chief won't mind." She said almost to herself.

The rest of the Loonatics looked at Ace. He shrugged. "I guess we follow her. Is there really anything else we can do? Tech did we get all of the ship?" Tech nodded. "Alright so-"

"If you don't hurry up the barrier will close and you won't be able to get in!" The girl yelled. The Loonatics followed the girl into the forest. Each wondering how a forest could be in the desert and who this 'Chief' was.

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**Ok. There's the first chapter. I hope that you are enjoying it so far. I promise it will get more action in the next chapter. Please Read and Review! Both this story and the other ones!**


	2. Conflict

**Sorry this took so long. I've been working on an extra long chapter for my other stories. But here is the next chapter. I promise to be faster with the third chapter! Here you go!**

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**Conflict**

The Loonatics walked through the forest. The girl that was leading them was following some sort of a trail, which was invisible to everyone else. Rev was looking around curiously. Trying to find something to occupy his mind since he was walking at a regular speed instead of a super speed. "The trees here are cool like palm trees but different because palm trees couldn't live in this area it's too hot and there's not enough water but none of these trees should be in the desert it must have something to do with the barrier we hit and that must have been this otherwise all these trees would be cooked by the sun like we were when we walked here it was a good thing Slam saw this place or we would be out there still trying to find the wreckage of the ship but why did you leave the pieces outside Tech it's safer to take them with us who knows there could be bandits or something in this area but any bandits should know better than to fight with us we're the best…" Rev kept talking about nothing. No one else was listening. By now the other Loonatics had learned how to block out the sound of Rev's voice when he got going.

However, the girl they were following had not. "Will you be quiet?" Rev stopped talking. She turned around and stopped walking. "You guys are louder than a flatfoot walking on dry leaves!"

"No we're not." Duck said. "Why should we be quiet anyway? It's not like you're hunting."

The girl stared harshly at Duck. "I'm not, but the others might be. You can't see them but I can and trust me," she smiled evilly, "you don't want them to get angry while they are carrying pointy objects." Duck opened his mouth to respond back. "You don't know how lucky you are. No one ever comes in here. But I would be prepared to be kicked out."

Ace looked at the girl. "Why would be kicked out?"

"The Chief might not like it that I brought you in here." The girl started walking again. "By the way, my name's Tia. In case someone tries to hurt you just tell them Tia brought you. That should keep you safe."

"Tia? As in the Spanish word for Aunt?" Lexi asked.

"Well sort of. Not 'Aunt' as in family but 'Ant' as in the insect." Tia sniggered slightly. "It's 'cause I'm short get it?"

Rev shrugged. "You don't take offense to that at all?"

Tia shook her head. By now the forest had gotten considerably thinner. "No. I don't. It's not their fault everyone else is a giant around here. We're here." Tia pulled a curtain of leaves and moss back. "Welcome to Crimalti (Crim-all-tee)."

Beyond the curtain the carpet of moss continued but there were no more trees. Instead there were houses made out of wood and metal. People and animals walked around, some carrying wood, some food, and a few even small children. Older children about the size of Tia ran around chasing after a ball. Next to a house steps an ancient woman was stirring a pot over a fire.

"What is this place?" Tech asked.

"As I told you it's Crimalti. This is our city." Tech just stared at the scene before him. "We have a bio-dome over the city. It blocks us from sensors." 

"How did you know what I was thinking?" Tech asked.

Tia smiled at him. "Oh you scientists are all the same: always wondering how, what, and why. And then instead of asking like a regular person you go on and do experiments to find the answers." She walked into the village. "Hey! Butch!" A very large scarred man came from inside a small house. "Butch, can you watch these guys. I want the Chief to meet them. Now no hurting them and no letting them get out of your sight. Get it?"

The man called Butch nodded. "Sure I got it." He answered in an oily voice that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. "Leave it all to me."

"Good." Tia started to walk off towards to the biggest structure. "I'll be back with the Chief in a minute!" With that she turned behind the building and disappeared.

"Hey friends." Butch said. He looked at Slam. Slam looked back. Butch was towering a full foot over Ace's ears.

Ace looked at Butch up and down. "Do I know you?" he asked.

Butch knelt down from his towering height and looked Ace full in the face. "You do look like a grey rabbit I used to work with…" Butch rolled his eyes to the sky trying to remember. "Wait? Are you the guy that was the stunt double?"

"Yeah, why?" Ace's eyes widened in surprise. "Butch? Butch the camera guy? Butch Hallor?" He took a step back. "But didn't you become-"

"Butcher?" Butch laughed a cold hard laugh. "Yep. That's me."

Lexi stepped behind Ace. "Butcher? Isn't that the name of a mass-murderer? But I thought he was banished and died."

"You can't be Butcher he and the rest of that transport perished after they were banished." Rev said.

"Nope. No one's dead here." Butch laughed. "I never thought I would see you again Ace. What happened after you left?"

"Lot's of stuff." Ace replied coldly.

Butch rubbed the back of his head. "Ahh, don't be that way buddy. We used to be good friends." Butch stopped rubbing his head and looked back at the building. "The Chief's coming."

True to his words the Loonatics could hear Tia's voice from behind the building. "I don't think you'll like the news I'm bringing."

Another female voice spoke. "Tia, I am in such a good mood right now nothing could get me down." The person laughed. "Go on what happened?"

"Well," it was Tia, "I found some people outside."

"What people?"

"Umm, they were doing their jobs but their ship had crashed. So I, uh..."

"'Uh' what?"

Ace blinked and turned towards the voices. "I know that voice." He said.

Lexi blinked. "You do? Who is it?"

"That's the Chief." Butch said.

Ace shook his head. "I _know_ that voice. I just can't remember who it is." Butch shrugged as the voices continued to talk.

Tia was speaking now. "Chief, I- I let them in."

"What?" the humor was now gone.

"Well, they were just doing their jobs and it wasn't their fault they crashed and we can't hide forever."

The Chief's next words sounded angry but with a sense of humor, like one would be to a small child who had broken something. "I hope they won't be any trouble or reveal us but still… How many times have I told you Tia?" Tia and the Chief walked around the building and into sight, "You never bring anyone from out there in-" she stopped staring at Ace. "Side." She whispered.

Ace stared in utter shock. The rest of the team was surprised at least. For the Chief looked a lot like Ace. She was a white rabbit with black ears that hung down her back rather than standing straight up. She was wearing a green tank top and dark brown pants. She and Ace were staring at each other as though they had seen ghosts.

"Sylvia?" Ace asked.

"Ace?" she said in answer.

Tia looked from one face to the other. "You two know each other?"

Sylvia shook her head. "Get them out of here. We can't trust them." She turned to walk away.

Ace stepped forward and reached out his hand. "It's really you! Sylvia, how did you survive? I can't believe I'm seeing you again! I thought you were dead!" He grabbed her arm, "Sylvia is it really you? Are you really here? This isn't a dream?"

Sylvia yanked her arm out of his reach. "Oh I'm here alright _Ace_." She spoke his name with venom dripping off the syllable. "But unlike you, I don't care if you're dead or alive. I never want to see you again. Ace, you and your teammates have a free passage out of here. But if any of you are seen here again you will be killed."

Ace blinked, "You're not serious."

Sylvia ignored him and turned to Butch and Tia who were surrounded by the others in the village that had gathered. "No one is to talk to these people. No one is to aid them in any way. They are not to be trusted. Don't believe anything they say."

"Sylvia!" Ace was staring at her as though she was crazy. "Why are you doing this? What did we do?"

She turned around to face Ace and the rest of the Loonatics. "You did nothing. That's why you are condemned." Tears were now visible in her eyes but they did not spill over. "Get out of here. I never want to see your face again! Ever!" The tears started. "Go! Get out! And I swear if I ever run into you again I _will__**kill **__**you**_ and earn my place here!" Sylvia turned and ran back to the building she had come from.

"Sylvia wait! I don't want to lose you again!" Ace shouted. He started to run after her but Butch stopped him.

"You heard what the Chief said. I will escort you out of here." He yelled in a booming voice. "I don't know what you did to her but in all these years this is the first time I've ever seen her cry. And you will pay for it!"

Butch raised his hand to hit Ace but the team was too fast. Lexi brain-blasted him and he flew backward. Butch did not expect this and didn't counter attack. But Tia did. She pushed her hands out in front of her. A blast of air pushed Lexi back. Tech magnetized a nearby pole and twisted it around Tia. But she easily wriggled out of it. Meanwhile, Butch was up and heading towards Ace, who was still standing there in complete shock, oblivious to everything happening around him. Slam tried to tornado Butch away but Butch picked Slam up and threw him at Rev who was headed towards Tia. Duck looked around, decided it would be better to leave and figure out what's going on, quacked over to Ace, Tech, Rev, Slam, and Lexi in turn and transported them all to the edge of the forest.

**---:::'''.,.,.,.''':::---**

"Ace wake up!" Duck yelled. He was shaking Ace hard. But Ace wasn't responding.

"He's been like this for an hour. What happened?" Lexi asked, obviously worried.

Rev started talking, his voice getting louder with every word. "This is just getting really weird I mean first we find this forest in the middle of nowhere and then Ace knows the leader of the tribe or whatever and the she flips out and banishes us for no reason!" He was starting panic and voice again started to crescendo, "What will they do if they find us they seemed very serious!" he sighed deeply, "I don't like the desert."

"Not one does." Lexi said. She looked over at Ace again. "Tech, can you do anything?"

Tech shrugged. "Sorry, we're just going to have to wait until he snaps out of it."

"Great. We've got murderous people after us and our leader is off in a daydream wonderland." Duck replied. Slam grunted something at him. "Well it's true."

Ace groaned from where he lay on the ground. The team looked at him. He twitched and opened his eyes. "What happened?" He sat up.

"Duck got us out of the village. You were acting weird." Lexi told him. She kneeled down next to him. "But you need to tell us why they hate you." The team nodded. "We should really be asking you 'what happened'."

Ace sighed. "You guys were going to find out sooner or later."

"Find out what?" Duck asked, curious.

"Their Chief…" Ace started, "She's my sister."

"You're sister?!?!?" the team shouted in unison.

"My little sister actually." Ace stood up and walked to sit down on a nearby log.

Lexi blinked. "Since when do you have a sister? I've known you for years and I never saw her."

"She was gone by then."

"Are you saying she's dead?" Duck asked.

"No. She was gone." Ace said again. He was hoping they would drop the subject. But no such luck came.

Tech was the next to speak. "But how did she get here? And why is a convicted criminal here as well?"

Ace sighed again. "I guess I need to tell you the whole story…" he conceded. I was obvious they wouldn't stop questioning him until he told them what had happened. "It all started a few years before the meteor hit…"

**Flashback**

Ace was walking home from another day at the movie shooting when he passed a TV store. All the TVs were showing the news. Ace stopped to listen.

"The murder of the Prime minister has just been solved." The female TV announcer was saying. "Police have found incriminating evidence to point the blame to one Sylvia Bunny, who denies ever being at the crime site. Police are caught up in red tape but say that they will soon arrest this murderer for what she is."

"Wha-?" Ace gasped. He turned away from the TVs and started to run towards an apartment building.

He barged through the door and ignored the friendly "Hello Ace! Tough day at work?" And rammed his way up a flight of stairs and into an apartment.

Ace ran into a table that was right inside the door with and 'oof' and fell down. He straightened up and saw the top of a head with white ears that cascaded down the back of the couch. "Sylvia! What's going on?"

Sylvia turned around and crossed her arms over the couch. "How am I supposed to know?"

"I just saw the news! What did they find?" Ace jumped over the table and sat down on it.

Sylvia shrugged, "They found fingerprints and DNA."

"YOU DID IT?" Ace shouted.

Sylvia jumped up and punched Ace in the mouth. "Ace if I had done it I wouldn't have left any trace."

"But, how did your fingerprints get there?" Ace rubbed his jaw, "I know how much you hate the Prime Minister…"

Sylvia shrugged. "So does everyone in this apartment building."

"But, Sylvia if they did find that stuff what will happen to you?"

"Oh Ace. You don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself. I'm sure I can convince them that they are wrong."

Ace shook his head wildly. "No. Syl, you need to lay low. Maybe they will find more evidence to incriminate someone else…"

"Ace." Sylvia interrupted his train of thought. "You don't actually think _I _did it do you?" Ace nodded slowly. "You know me better than that! I may hate him but I wouldn't kill him! Ace, if you don't believe me who will?"

"How else do you explain it then?" Ace replied angrily.

"I don't explain it." Sylvia answered. "I just know the facts and that's what I defend."

**End Flashback**

"She was put on trial and banished." Ace said. "So the government sent her along with other convicted criminals to the other side of the world. She never stopped saying she was framed." He took a breath. "Then after the meteor hit, when they sent those transports out, her rocket group was never found."

No one said anything. The story was a sad one. Tech was the first one to speak up. "Why does she hate you then?"

Ace shrugged and stood up. "I don't know. I don't know."

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**Chapter 2. There you go! I'll start working on the next part.**


	3. Criminals

**Ok Chapter Three. I hope you are all enjoying the story so far! I'm soooo sorry about how long this has taken. I've been battling last-minute school things and writer's block. But hopefully the next chapters will come faster.**

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**Criminals**

"Hey Syl? Are you sure you're okay?" Terry asked.

Sylvia was sitting on a low wooden bench that resembled a doctor's examination table. "I'm fine. Don't start saying I'm sick!" She yelled before Terry or Lill could even open their mouths. Sylvia took a deep breath, "Just trust me, we do not want those people around. Especially Ace."

A knock was heard at the door. Butch entered. "Sylvia? Are you okay?"

"She's fit as a fiddle and twice as stringy." Lill replied. With that Terry and Lill left the room. Tia walked in.

Sylvia rolled her eyes. "Look guys I'm fine okay?"

She tried to get up off the bench. Tia pushed her back down. "Oh no you don't. Not until you tell us what's going on."

"What's going on?" Sylvia asked back. "All of you guys had a mental breakdown sometime or another since we got here. Remember Tia? When you thought water was going to kill you because you used to make your machines run by steam? And you Butch! You thought your mother was going to ground you! For crying out loud we're 1,999,000 miles from nowhere and you never even knew your mother! Can't I go nuts sometime? It's rabbit discrimination I tell you! Rabbit discrimination!"

Tia sighed. "You can go nuts but really- that wasn't nuts. That was cold…" She put a hand to her face, "And mean… There's a difference."

"Can't we talk about this another time?" Sylvia whined.

Butch shook his head. "Start talking."

Sylvia looked at him. Although he was a full foot above her ears she stared him down. "Don't act like you're so tough. You may have been a murderer in the past but now you're just a big marshmallow with muscles."

"I may be a marshmallow." Butch said. "But please, can't you just tell us why you hate him?" He bent down and looked at her.

She looked away. "He didn't look." She said in a whisper. "He didn't look."

Tia and Butch looked at each other. "Didn't look?" Tia prodded.

"You know how it went. I was framed and condemned along with you guys…

**Flashback**

A large rocket was stationed at the edge of Acmetropolis. Around it was a large crowd. Random shouts spilled through the air…

"Kill them!"

"She was framed!"

"Stop-"

"-hell I'll tell you what's-"

"Evil-"

"-end them away!"

"Shaddup you varmints!"

The cause of the commotion was soon visible as the crowd around the ship parted for a police truck. The truck drove through the crowd to the rocket and parked. The back doors opened and three policemen jumped out. Behind them were a dozen chained prisoners. Among them was a younger version of Tia, Butch and Sylvia, as well as others from the village. All of them wore chains on their wrists that connected to their necks. Some even had steel plates that looked like stocks. All of them were smiling except Sylvia.

In fact she was yelling at the top of her lungs. "It wasn't me! I didn't do this! Don't send me with these criminals I'm not one of them! Listen to me!" But no one did. The crowd was laughing at her.

"Don't try to wriggle your way out of this one! Everyone knows you killed the Prime Minister!" A man called.

Sylvia opened her mouth but Tia nudged her. "Just give it up already. Be proud. You actually killed the guy a bunch of us were targeting. I still can't figure it out. How did you do it?"

"I didn't." Sylvia stared at Tia next to her. "Why should I be proud?"

"Because you did it."

"But I didn't!" Sylvia said again.

Tia looked Sylvia in the face. "You really are telling the truth aren't you?"

Sylvia's face broke in relief. "Yes I am."

"Well I doubt that anyone else will believe you outside of these people." She gestured to the rest of the line.

"Why?"

Butch smiled a smile straight out of a horror film, "We are all high-class criminals here. We kill because we believe there's a reason. Or there's a big amount of money promised. Or we just like how high we get off it. But we ain't sorry. Hence," he pointed at the ship, "why we're being exiled."

"But I didn't do anything!" Sylvia resumed her pleads to the crowd.

Tia laughed evilly and followed the line into the ship. Butch shoved Sylvia onto the ship before him. But as he entered he yelled, "I'll be back SUCKERS!" Laughed and went in as docile as a lamb.

Inside the ship Sylvia ran to the nearest window. Through it she saw the crowd, jeering and laughing. She started to search the crowd for a face she knew. There were other humanoid animals in the crowd, a giant brown Tasmanian devil wearing a wrestler's uniform, a black duck was walking from the viewing area to the pool across the street, and running through the crowd was a blue roadrunner with a pizza box heading to the press box. The roadrunner was zipping through tight spaces randomly and almost ran into the brown coyote wearing a white lab coat and glasses. 'Probably someone from Acme Tech figuring out how to build an improved rocket that's better for the environment or something.' Sylvia thought bitterly. Then she spotted a pair of ears started to shout and realized they belonged to a yellow girl rabbit.

Sylvia was slowly realizing that she wasn't going to get out of her current situation. She desperately kept searching the crowd. Finally she saw him. Sylvia locked her eyes on the grey rabbit that was her brother. She started to bang on the window and yell as hard and loud as she could, trying to get his attention. "ACE!" she screamed. "Ace please! Just look at me! Ace look at me!"

Ace was looking at the rocket ignoring the form in the small window. His eyes scanned the length of the ship and saw the form in the window. Ace's eyes connected with hers. Sylvia's voice was lost in the crowd. Ace looked down at the ground hugging himself and shaking his head.

Sylvia felt a rumble under her feet that announced the rocket's departure. She increased her yells. "Ace please! I just want to see you one last time! ACE!"

Ace lifted his head as though he had heard her. But he closed his eyes and turned his back to the ship still shaking his head sadly.

"AAACCCEEE!!!" Sylvia screamed at the top of her lungs. "AAACCCEEE!!!"

The ship started to rise up into the clouds. The other prisoners were covering their ears. "Shut up already!" one called.

"Yer' not getting out now!" Another one said.

Tia stood up from her place in the corner. Gently she laid her hand on Sylvia's shoulder. She tried to think of something to calm the white rabbit down but could only come up with the lame statement, "Its okay." Sylvia crumpled to the ground. She didn't say a word. Tia shook her head. Then she turned to the others in the circular cabin. "We all know what's going to happen now."

Butch stood up as well. "We might as well all become allies. After all we're all criminals and we are all being sent into the desert." There was a general murmur of assent through the criminals. "I guess we should start with names, what we're here for, and what our specialty is…" He scratched his head.

"I'll start." Tia said. She stood up to her full height (which wasn't much) and spoke. "My name is Tia; I'm here because I set a bomb in the main chamber of the prison and because I killed most of the police force and freed the prisoners in one blow. Not to mention a couple civilians." The people cheered. "Thank you! Thank you!" Tia smiled. "And My specialty is mechanics and computers. I am after all an evil genius."

Tia motioned for the man next to her. He was about a head taller than Tia and had bright red hair. He was dressed like a cowboy complete with a hat. "My name is Kim." Butch sniggered. "Don't laugh!" Kim's cheeks reddened slightly. "I'm the crazed arson guy! You know the one who made all those assassinations?" Everyone 'Oohed' and 'Ahhed' collectively. "Yeah. That's right. My specialty is…" he paused for dramatic effect. It failed miserably. "Fire! What else?" He sat down.

Butch laughed. "Ok. After that… stunning performance… who's next?"

A dark woman stood up. She was almost as tall as Butch was. "I'm Jesop. I am the best thief in the city. I've stolen everything. And once I stole the Prime Minister's wife. Almost had all the money I could want." She sighed, pushing back her dark grey hair that was falling out of a messy bun. On her left arm was a long blue scar. "My specialty is weapons. All types any size. I can work with it." She looked next to her. "You're next."

A man stood up. He was wearing a long coat with a hood. It fell back from his face. He was a grey bobcat with brown spots. "Terry. My name is Terry." His voice was shaking as though he was nervous and had a slight British accent to it. "I poisoned everyone in my restaurant." His voice became steady. "It was fun. They didn't even taste anything bad. It's my specialty it is. Herbs that is." He smiled widely. No one reacted. "The Mayor was in there. I got him." At that statement the others cheered.

"You got rid of the tyranny!" Kim said brightly. "You're all right after all."

Terry smiled and gestured to the man with black hair next to him. When the man stood up the three women, one with blue hair, one with purple and one with blond, next to him and another man with orange hair and glasses stood up. "We're the gang that destroyed the FBI in two days. We're the CPH: Common People's Help." The four of them stuck their fists into the air with a cry of, "Long live the Common People!" They dropped their hands to the ground as many others cheered loudly.

"You got rid of them?" Jesop asked excitedly. "I'm like you're biggest fan! I can't believe I'm on the same exile unit as the CPH!"

The man with black hair held up his hand. The group quieted down. "I'm Jake. I'm the leader of this group. My specialty is lying. You know convincing people of stuff?"

The women with blue hair spoke after a gesture from Jake. She had on white gloves and kept flinging them around. "I'm Suzen. I'm with Jake. My specialty is locks and keys. I can get through any and every lock made."

The man with glasses and orange hair stepped up. "I'm Himilton. I'm the cook. They have to eat."

Jake laughed. "Yeah but you also are in charge of our disguises and stuff. Stop acting like you're not important."

"Whatever." Himilton shrugged.

Two other women were standing with the group. The shorter one pushed back her purple bangs out of her eyes and spoke. "I'm Twity. I'm the information girl. And what's even better…" she dug in the pocket of her coat and brought out a small square piece of grey material. "I smuggled in a data pad. We have access!" The rest of the group nodded at each other and whispered excitedly. "We'll at least be able to use it for a couple weeks. But we need a charging device."

"I can whip one of those up no problem." Tia said. "They have no idea. Those fools are stranding us in the desert with a mechanical goldmine." She smiled manically.

Twity nodded. The girl with blond hair opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. She nudged Twity and glared at her. Twity looked puzzled for a moment and then realization dawned. "Oh! Geez," she dug into her pocket again. "Here ya' go little lady." She said in an old-fashioned southern accent.

The girl rolled her eyes and grabbed the thing in Twity's outstretched hand. She placed a round green piece of metal on her neck. It shot out yellow wires and dug itself into her flesh. Soon all that could be seen of it was a small discolored bump on her neck. There was a quiet clicking sound and the girl spoke. "That's better. I thought you'd never give it back." The crowd stayed silent waiting. "Oh, I'm Dylin. I'm the structural person. I make sure their crazy plans will work out with a building as well as building all their vehicles."

"What is that thing on your neck?" Butch asked.

"That's my voice box. My real one got burned out when I was young so I made my own." Everyone stared. "It was my punishment for stealing food from the emergency stash. I was the last one before the humanity laws." No one moved. To go through life without a voice just because you stole bread was unthinkable. Dylin rolled her eyes again. "Oh get over it. Boo hoo- so I grew up a cripple. Now who's next?"

"I'm Lill." The lump on the floor said. Lill looked up and revealed a pointed snout. She was a fox but she didn't stand up. "I'm here because I blew up the Children's Cancer Hospital." Everyone gasped. Even Sylvia from her corner looked up in disgust. "I put them out of their misery." She said. Now she did stand up, her golden honey colored coat shined in the sun. "They were just dying there. Being put through all sorts of torture by those so-called doctors! I GAVE THEM PEACE!"

Tia walked over to her. "You destroyed families."

"Yes but now they don't have to constantly worry about their children. They don't have to worry if they're sad, happy, in pain, or even if they died during the night." Lill stared down her snout to Tia. "They may have been put through pain but now they have moved on." She leaned back against the wall. "I'm not sorry so no one should say anything. My specialty is diseases. I know more than most doctors."

Butch scratched his head. "I guess that's true. The families are in a better state financially." He looked around the group. "Oh, I'm next aren't I?" He laughed dryly but no one joined in. "Um… ok. My name is Butch. I'm Butcher the mass-murderer. My specialty is working. You know like wood, clay, that kind of thing. I'm good with my hands."

The others nodded and there was a general sigh of recognition around the group. A very tall old woman, with white hair and an even whiter suit on, stood up. "I'm Sarah but call me Granny. I ran a train off its tracks. There was a political meeting inside it. But I didn't know that. I'm good with kids." The group murmured as she sat down.

"You got the train off its tracks all by yourself?" Asked Twity. The woman nodded.

"All right oldy!" Kim shouted as some scattered applause went around.

Granny whipped her cane around and pinned Kim to the wall with it an inch from his nose. "Call me Granny, sonny. Or I'll break your nose." She sang tauntingly. Kim nodded quickly. Granny sat back down and said sweetly, "I bet you're all just excited to get to your new home!"

Everyone turned their attention to Sylvia. She was still on the floor in the corner. "Um… hey girl? You're up." Dylin said. Sylvia didn't move.

Tia walked over to her and knelt down next to her. "Hello?" She put her face directly in front of Sylvia's. There was still no reaction. Tia slapped her across the face. "Wake up!"

Sylvia did look up. The others listened eagerly. "I'm Sylvia."

"What are you here for?" Jake asked. "You don't look like a criminal. I've never seen you before."

"Yeah!" Twity said. "You must have done something really bad to have the public not know!"

Suzan came over and looked at Sylvia. "Hey, aren't you the girl that killed the Prime Minister?"

All at once there was excited whisperings. "Really?" Kim asked.

"No way!" Himilton said.

"It is you!" Screamed Terry.

Sylvia stood up angrily. "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!! FOR THE LAST TIME I WAS FRAMED!!!"

Everyone went silent. Butch stared at Sylvia. "You didn't do it?"

"Don't get me wrong, I hated the guy." Sylvia said. "But I didn't kill him."

Lill came over and looked into Sylvia's eyes. "You're telling the truth?" Sylvia nodded. "She must be. They don't exile people who are sorry for their crimes."

"That's what I was telling you." Sylvia crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know what you criminals are planning but leave me out of it."

"We can't really do that." Jesop commented. "We're all in this together now."

Suzan nodded. "Come on. We're not that bad."

"We need to pick a leader of some sort, whether Sylvia is in on it or not." Butch said.

"Ok." Terry said. "Who wants to do it?" No one answered. "Umm… Who should we nominate?"

Jake looked around at the group. "I think the two best candidates are me and Sylvia."

"Really?" Himilton asked. "Why?"

"Well, I am the leader of CPH already and Sylvia doesn't have anything against her." Jake replied.

Lill cocked her head to the side. "Run that by me again. I don't get it."

Twity sighed. "All of us are here because we did something terrible. But Sylvia didn't do what they accused her of so her record's clear. So technically speaking she is the trust worthiest out of all of us. And Jake here has experience being a leader."

Dylin nodded. "I like those choices. Let's vote."

"Sure why not?" Tia said.

Sylvia stood in her corner shocked. "Wha-?"

"All in favor of Jake being the leader raise their right hand – or paw – and say 'Aye'." Tia commanded. Jake, Twity, Suzan, and Terry raised their hands and shouted "AYE!"

"Okay that's five." Butch counted.

"Four." Twity said.

"Four!" Butch said brightly. "Now all in favor for Sylvia do the same thing except shout 'Nee'." This time Tia, Butch, Dylin, Lill, Kim, Granny, Himilton, and Jesop raised their hands and shouted "NEE!"

"Eight… The 'Nee's have it!" Tia said.

"Oh well." Jake sighed. "Congrats Sylvia you're leader now. Feel free to ask me whatever."

"But- I- How- Who-" Sylvia kept trying to say something. "WHAT?" she finally got out.

"You're the leader!" Everyone shouted.

**End Flashback**

Tia laughed. "I remember that. You kept stuttering the rest of the trip."

"And for the rest of the week after." Butch added.

"Anyway, that's what happened." Sylvia shrugged. "I couldn't get it out of my head that at the last moment he didn't look at me. All this time I haven't been able to remember his face clearly. I could only see the back of his head in my mind. Now that he's back, I don't know." She put her face in her hands.

Butch put a hand on her shoulder. "We can figure it out. As of now they are on the outskirts of the dome. If we need them they won't be that hard to find." Sylvia looked up.

"We should keep going. I'm sure you'll think of something. You always do."

Sylvia nodded. 'They're right. We can come up with a plan sooner or later. But now I have duties.' She thought. "We might as well keep going with the day."

With that the three friends went out of the house. As they walked into the town square small blurs of color ran into Tia knocking her over. After the dust settled around them Sylvia and Butch saw that it was only the children. "Sven, Michael…" she laughed addressing the two small foxes, "Get off of Tia."

The two golden-grey foxes laughed and got off of the struggling Tia. They looked exactly the same except one was a head shorter and had a white circle around one eye. The tallest one spoke, "Who were those people that were here earlier? One of them looked like you Sylvia."

Sylvia shook her head. "They are very bad people Michael. They were sent here to steal our food."

"Wow." The fox with the circle said. "Did the others send them?"

"No Sven." Tia said. "And can you kids stop running into-" But before she could finish another couple of blurs ran her over. "-me." Tia finished weakly.

This time it was a golden bobcat with grey spots and a human child with red hair. The bobcat was abnormally small and started to grow larger until she was as tall as Michael. She smiled. "I did it! I beat you here Kelly! Now I'm in charge!"

"No you're not!" The girl named Kelly cried out.

"Yes I am!"

"No you're not!"

"Knock it off." Butch said as he lifted the two squabbling girls into the air. "Ellie," he shook the bobcat gently, "Kelly," he shook the girl, "stop fighting."

"Put me down!" Kelly and Ellie yelled together.

Butch smiled genially and complied. The children immediately started a game of tag around the adults. It was a perfect scene of domestic tranquility. Everyone was all smiles and the children were an image of childhood bliss. Everything would have been perfect – had there not been eyes watching the scene from the bushes.

**---:::'''.,.,.,.''':::---**

Ace, Rev, and Lexi were watching Sylvia and her group of friends. "Are you sure we should be here?" Lexi asked Ace in a whisper. "Your, sister, said she would kill you if she saw you again."

"Yeah and she looked pretty serious when she said it although seeing her now you wouldn't believe she looked like a cold-blooded murderer when she said what she said back then about what she would do about the future." Rev commented.

Ace blinked. "She looks so… happy."

Lexi stared at him. "Well, I bet those are her close friends."

"But they're criminals." Ace said. He shook his head. "I can't believe they all survived."

"We should get out of here." Lexi said decidedly. Ace turned to her to say something but she cut him off. "Look, until we get a plan about what we're going to do it would be better to just stay out of sight. I know you want to talk to her but you have to wait." Ace nodded and the three of them went quietly back to the makeshift camp in the woods.

**---:::'''.,.,.,.''':::---**

Sylvia left the children with Butch and Tia, trusting them to return the offspring to the appropriate families: Ellie, the twins, Michael and Sven to Lill and Terry and Kelly to Jesop and Kim. She smiled faintly at the memory of the double wedding a few years ago when the fox and bobcat had joined and on the other side of the square the doctor and nurse had tied the knot. And then the children had come along… Sylvia opened the flap of a small hut near the center of the town and sat down on the bed in the corner. Yes, things just seemed to fall into place back then. But then that meteor had hit…

**Flashback**

The natives of the village were doing their jobs as normal, looking as if they were straight out of a medieval popup book. Twity had her hands full with Kelly and the twins. Kim had another burn that was being treated by Terry. Lill was playing with Ellie, who was a toddler. Granny was telling Lill about her days as a mother. Dylin and Sylvia were fixing the shield. Himilton was making lunch. Jake was arguing with Tia about something or other. Butch was helping Suzan get more wood for the cooking fire and a new house.

Himilton reached up and rang a bell to signal that lunch was ready. As the group gathered to eat Sven stopped and looked straight up into the sky. Michael looked at him sideways and glanced up too. The two foxes opened their mouths at the same time and said, "Wooooaaaah!"

The adults of the village looked up very confused. In the sky was a giant fireball heading away from them.

"Where's it going?" Kelly asked.

Tia whipped out a data pad and typed stuff into it. "It's going to the city."

Butch looked at the falling meteor. "What will it do?"

"I don't know." Tia said.

Lill shrugged. "I'm guessing something bad."

"Of course it's something bad dearie!" Granny said brightly.

Kim pointed at it, "Oh it's on fire! Coolness! A burning rock!"

"Kim you're scaring the kids." Jesop said.

Dylin edged to a shelter. "I don't like it. Let's run for cover."

"Scaredy cat! Scaredy cat!" Himilton sang.

Dylin looked at him with a glare of pure evil. "Don't make me hurt you."

"Don't hurt him Dylin." Twity said. "But I agree it doesn't look right."

"It's going over the horizon." Sylvia whispered. As the meteor disappeared from sight there was a loud bang. A ripple of light shot from where the meteor had disappeared and grew larger and larger.

"Mommy!" The children ran to their respective mothers and hugged them tight.

All the families hugged each other tightly. The CPH grouped together around Granny, and Butch, Tia, and Sylvia started to run around battening down anything loose.

The light got closer and closer. Then everything went white and faded into black…

**End Flashback**

Sylvia smiled. Then they had all gotten their powers. She had lasers from her eyes and hands, Tia could turn into a machine, Butch could summon wood demons, though he had trouble controlling them, Jake had super speed, Suzen had golden rope snake things, Himilton had water powers, Twity could control things with her mind, Dylin had force fields, Kim could now control and summon fire demons, Jesop could eject poison, Kelly turned invisible, Granny could make unanimated objects animated with a soul, Terry could talk to plants, Lill could tame animals (which really helped with her children), Michael had bubble transports, Sven had illusions, and Ellie could shrink. It was good.

'What brought all these thoughts along?' Sylvia thought. She lay down on her bed. "I'm thinking way to much about the past. Tomorrow we'll decide what to do about Ace and the rest of them."

**---:::'''.,.,.,.''':::---**

At the same time Ace was sitting with his team. "Guys we have to figure out what we're going to do."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Duck yawned. "I'm tired."

"Surprisingly, Duck's right." Tech said. "We should get some sleep and figure out what to do later."

Ace sighed in defeat. "Okay. Tomorrow we'll figure out what to do about Sylvia and the rest of them."

**--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---**

**There! I'll get the rest up soon! If you have any ideas just send them to me! I need all the help I can get! Happy summer! School's out!**


	4. Collaboration

**Ok Chapter 4! Here you go! I'm really sorry this took so long! My computer's hard drive crashed on me and I had to retype this whole thing. Then the power went off and I lost it all again. And school doesn't help much either… But here's the next story.**

**Again, I do not own Loonatics Unleashed! (I wish I did but you can't sue me for wishing! HA!) Oh, and a warning, strong AceXLexi in this chapter. And a little bit of Tech too… (If anyone has any ideas for pairings of characters I'm open to suggestions! Besides the ones I hint to in this chapter. So please review!)**

**--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---**

**Collaboration**

Ace woke up extremely early the next morning. So early that the sun hadn't even come up. He kicked off the blanket Slam had salvaged from the ship and sat up. Ace rubbed his eyes to wake himself. He attempted to lay back down and get back to sleep but failed. He groaned. "What's the point of sleeping?" He asked sarcastically, cursing whatever desert god had cheated him out of a few good hours sleep. "Might as well get up." Ace stood up and started to walk to the campfire pit they had made the night before.

As he walked by the others he heard Duck mumble something about a sea monkey, a gold million-dollar ring, and an angry supermodel. Ace quickly pushed these fragments of dream out of his mind to prevent understanding anything he might later regret. Last week he had made the mistake of asking Duck about one of these fragments he overheard… Ace could still not get _that_ story out of his head. It still made him shudder when he thought about it. Ewwww.

Ace walked further and saw Rev running in his sleep. His legs had pushed the blanket down to the edge of his sleeping bag and were a red blur to Ace's eyes. This would not have been funny if Rev had not been so close to Slam. Rev's legs kept kicking Slam over and over in the same spot. Slam was muttering words in his sleep that meant, what Ace could only assume, were Tasmanian swear words. Slam would, every once in awhile swing his huge hand to disrupt the never-ending kicks but missed. Ace sniggered quietly as the ordeal repeated itself.

Ace went a little further to a slightly secluded bit of brush to see Lexi's sleeping form. She looked so… so… beautiful. He didn't know if it was the way the disappearing moonlight combined with the rising sun to cast a light sheen over her fur… or if it was the way the vines curled so gently around her ears... or if it was the leaves in her hair…

His smile broadened as he walked around the bend to the campfire pit, vaguely wondering where Tech was. To his surprise he found Tech sitting on a rock poking the fire with a stick. After Tech would poke the fire however, a strange look would come over his face… Almost scared it seemed, to Ace at least. "Tech?" He asked. "What are you doing up?"

"I should be asking you." He said, not looking up away from the fire, the strange look back on his features. "I'm always up this early."

"You're kidding me." Ace said.

"Nope."

Ace stared at Tech. "Every day?" He said incredulously.

"Yep."

Ace blinked. Was it just him... or was Tech being strangely short with his answers? Usually the coyote would give some sort of explanation to an answer but today… nothing.

Ace opened his mouth to ask a question about how Tech kept poking the fire but stopped himself as Lexi came around the bend sleepily. Ace did not want to embarrass Tech in front of Lexi; most of the guys on the team were a little on edge when Lexi was around. At least, they were on edge when she was around just to hang. Everyone but Rev, but he was never on edge except around his family.

"I had to get morning teammates." Lexi said groggily.

"Good morning to you too sunshine." Ace said. Tech just flicked his head up, nodded at her then returned to staring at the fire.

Lexi looked at Tech with a confused expression on her face. She leaned over to whisper in Ace's ear, "He's not still sad about the _ship_ is he?"

Ace shrugged. "Who knows what goes on inside that head?" He whispered back.

Tech sighed inwardly. Honestly, did they think he couldn't hear them? You didn't need to have super hearing to hear that. But they were right… No one on the team really understood him or his way of thinking. 'They can't hear it.' He thought. He stared sadly at the fire. 'Why do I hear it?' Ever since he got to the god-forsaken desert he had heard the ship cry out in pain. And not just ht metal squeaking as it crashed and bent but actual screaming. He heard the ship calling for help, not in words but calling, and he understood it was though it was one of the team screaming in his ear.

And it wasn't just with metal and machines either… He heard the firewood as it screamed, as it was burnt alive. Tech closed his eyes and tried to remember when he could look at a fire and **not hear it scream**. Finally he could take it no longer. Ace and Lexi were whispering again and kept glancing at him. Tech stood up and walked out of the clearing, into the forest and out of sight.

Ace and Lei were surprised when Tech just got up and left. "Do you think he heard us?" Lexi asked. She was worried now that they had hurt Tech's feelings. It had taken them weeks to get him to look as though he was comfortable around them. And it took them even longer to get him to talk openly to anyone when they all met. Even Zadavia hadn't been able to make him talk until he decided too. And it was more uncomfortable than you think. Sitting across from the coyote as he silently stared you down. Lexi never knew if anyone else thought about it – but Tech and Slam were, after all, carnivores. Sure she had seen them eat vegetables but she knew in each one of the team there was… a certain – wildness. She often wondered if anyone else got a primal urge to do something wild. Like when she would get all these urges to hop around and eat grass. 'I wonder if Tech ever gets urges like that…' She thought.

Lexi remembered in the beginning… Tech had barely spoken at all – just nods and a few grunts were what it used to be. After he got over the silent stares and blinks. Not even Rev could get him to talk. But why those two were friends Lexi had no idea. Rev, personally, drove her crazy. With all his talking and her being able to hear it no matter where he was in the tower. But Tech, now seemed to be falling back into the 'not talking phase' he had before. And Lexi did not want to go through that again.

"Nah. I don't think so." Ace said. "You're the one with super-hearing remember?" He put his arms around her waist from behind and sniffed he hair.

Lexi giggled and broke away from his grasp. "Ace." She smiled playfully at him. He smiled back. "People are gonna wake up any minute."

He didn't reply to this. Instead he kissed her on the cheek. "Come on…" He said as he kissed her again. "We should get some stress off." His voice got warmer and softer with each syllable. Lexi giggled quietly as she kissed him back, this time on the lips. He kissed back. Their bodies moved closer together as if to **ahem** you know. But their escape from reality was shattered as they heard (thankfully before they saw) Slam get up and land the punch he had been trying to get Rev with all night. Rev yelled accordingly.

The two bunnies practically threw each other off and headed to opposite sides of the campfire. They struggled to get into a reasonable position when Slam and Rev came around the bend.

Rev was covered in large blue colored bruises. As usual, however, Rev was slightly slower in the morning, and for him this meant at regular speed. "Hey, how's everybody? Did you sleep well? I did. But I guess-" he yawned, "Slam didn't."

"Urgahetabr." Slam replied shortly.

"Eh… Slam- watch it there- people are reading this who are quite young." Ace said. "Be glad you guys don't understand Tasmanian… you'd be scarred for life."

Lexi rolled her eyes. "Hey, where's Duck?"

Rev shrugged slowly. "Who knows? Probably still asleep." Rev looked at the fire and noticed a pot hanging over it. 'Coffee!' he thought. Walking at a normal pace her grabbed the pot and a cup and took a drink of the black liquid. This pepped him up a bit.

Duck stumbled around the corner, smacking his beak, and looking like he had been up half the night.

"You look terrible." Rev stated in his normal speedy way.

Duck eyed the other fowl dangerously, "Good morning to you too." He said. Duck spotted the coffee can in Rev's hand and took it to get himself something. Duck took a long swing from the coffee and looked at Ace. "So Ace, any more relatives you forgot to mention that might be dangerous?"

"Eh… no."

"Good." He replied. "Wouldn't want your long lost Aunt Sally to come here and start beating us with a cane." Duck took another drink of coffee as the rest started to snigger.

"Ha. Ha." Ace said sarcastically.

Rev, having finished laughing, looked around. "Hey where's Tech He's usually never ever ever the last one to get up have any of you seen him?" He looked worried.

Lexi put a hand on the roadrunner's shoulder. "I'm sure he's fine."

"Yeah…" Rev admitted. "But seriously why would he just go off by himself I mean we don't know what's out there and those people from earlier reee-aaa-heely don't want us around what if they find him?"

"Don't worry Rev." Ace said brightly. "Tech's a big boy- he can handle himself."

------

Tech walked calmly through the forest. It reminded him vaguely of his childhood home. His older brother had taught him the ways of the forest and how to use it to his advantage. You would have thought that with such big feet Tech would be easy to hear in the undergrowth but instead he moved with a grace none of his friends ever saw- he moved silently as though he were nothing more than a shadow. A green shadow admittedly but a shadow nonetheless.

But to Tech, the forest was so loud. Every tree, every leaf, everything was talking. He caught snippets of conversations from trees and frogs. Random words from the insects and bushes floated in and out of earshot. It would have been like a mall if every word were not so unpleasant to hear. It wasn't bad things he was hearing but the sounds were painful. Tech grabbed his ears and tried to block out the sound- with every step, he could hear more and more sounds, more voices, more and more inanimate objects were speaking, yelling – he couldn't hear himself think – he couldn't see – he couldn't move – he couldn't breathe–

"SHUT UP!!" He yelled. And almost immediately the voices ceased. Tech opened his eyes. It was dead silent in the forest.

"Why?" A voice asked.

Tech didn't have an answer for this but the tree that spoke next did. "If you don't want to hear us talk too bad. We can talk if we want." Tech heard a murmur of assent. "So anyway Trudy, like I was saying…" and all the voices started to speak once again.

Tech clamped his hands tighter over his ears. This deadened the sound slightly but not enough to provide relief. Tech could feel the panic inside him building. This often happened to him during battle though he never let it show. The sounds seemed to grow louder and louder until…

"Are you okay?"

Tech opened his eyes to find the girl, what was her name?... Tia? standing over him. Over him? Tech looked up from the forest floor where he was curled into a tight ball and waited for the blow to fall.

"Hey, I asked if you were ok." Tia said again. She held out he small hand. "Need any help?"

Tech stared at the hand and up the arm to the small, angular face, dumbfounded. "Didn't your 'Chief' give you orders to kill us on sight?" He said, half sarcastically, half fearfully.

Tia laughed. A small musical sound that reminded Tech of tiny bells. It was a very nice sound to hear, Tech thought, though that might have been because it was such a difference from the sounds of the talking trees. "She didn't really mean that. I think the sight of your chief kinda opened some old wounds that still aren't healed from the first time." Tia still had her hand out. "Do you need help or what?"

Tech tried to think but the noises of the forest suddenly rose in volume. "Arrrrgh!" He moaned, curling himself even more tightly into a ball attempting to block out the sounds with his hands again.

Tia kneeled down nest to the cowering coyote. She looked sternly at the nearest tree, "Shut up Sarah! Can't you see you're overwhelming him?" She turned her attention to Tech whose back was facing here. "What's wrong?"

Tech could not bear it. The sounds were too loud they were too much. "M-make it stop." He whispered, quivering as the sound rose again.

She cautiously reached out her hand again. "Take my hand." Tia said. She gently touched his hand and, just as gently, started to pull it off his ear.

Tech could not believe anything that was happening but for all he was worth he didn't know what to do. So he allowed Tia to pull him up and lead him to the nearest tree. He sat down and leaned against the tree. "Sorry." He mumbled.

Tia sat down next to him. "Don't worry about it. I did the same thing when it started."

"You can hear it too?" Tech asked. She nodded. "So… I'm not going crazy?"

Tia laughed again, her musical laughter ringing pleasantly in Tech's ears. "Well, if you are then I am too. So at least we can be crazy together. Much more fun than being crazy alone."

Tech laughed, which surprised him, as he usually didn't laugh.

"But seriously," Tia said, "What are you doing out here?"

Tech closed his eyes. "The fire was… screaming."

"Oh." Tia nodded in understanding. "Yeah, that's one of the more terrifying sounds we can hear." Tia agreed.

Tech looked sideways at her, "_One_ of the more terrifying sounds?"

"Actually, the fire screaming is the least of the most terrifying sounds." Tia replied. "If that made any sense to you at all."

Before Tech could respond to this however a new sound reached his ears. A quiet, but steadily growing sound was coming closer.

Tia looked off to her left, "We better go." She said standing up, "This wound never heralds a good time."

Tech slowly rose to his feet. "What is it?"

"It's-" Tia started but before she could speak another word a huge beast burst out of the forest.

The animal had very long shaggy brown hair. The hair was matted and twigs and leaves clung to it. The beast must have been over 12 feet tall at least. It opened its mouth and screamed. A high, gurgling sound with clicks and grunts underneath. It reminded Tech of the screeched of Pterodactyls in movies – and it hurt! Both he and Tia winced at the sound.

The animal's teeth glistened with saliva. The glints highlighted the frightening length of them, twice as long as Tech's arm and just as thick. As the creature continued to screech you could see the awesome number of teeth. It took a step forward – letting it's crushing scream get louder and louder.

Tech fell to his knees. The sound was like some great drum pounding his mind to smithereens. Tia sank to one knee as well. The beast took a step forward. Tia screwed up her strength – raised her hand in front of her face and shot the beast.

The scream dwindled to gurgling as the beast ran backwards. Tech looked at Tia in disbelief. Her hands were now small cannon-like machines. Two of them were now occupying the spots where her hands were supposed to be. Tia's skin was normal at her elbow but turned transparent green. The cannons themselves had small thin veins of flesh colored skin on the metal. Tia looked at Tech and shrugged. "At least it worked." She said.

The beast, however, thought differently, and came charging back in. "Of course I could be wrong." Tia yelled jumping to one side as the animal tried to run her over. Tech lunged off to the other side before the beast's leg crushed him flat in the mud. Tia ran to a tree and ducked behind it. Tech looked over to her and saw her jump back out and bring her hands together. As she did the cannons rearranged themselves. Tia's cannons were now covering both her arms. She brought the giant cannon up to fire again.

Tech's mind worked furiously. Millions of questions flew one after another around his head… 'How could Tia do that? What exactly was she doing? Why did she choose a laser cannon?' He snapped his head upwards as Tia gasped. Her eyes grew wider as the beast's legs carried it forward and too close to safely fire. Tech recognized this and reacted. He had no idea how but he raised his own hands and activated his magnetizing power and lifted Tia up and out of harms way.

Tia followed the green light that now surrounded her back to Tech on the ground. She smiled maniacally, "Good thinking! I can get a better shot!" She shouted. She swiveled around and faced the beast on the ground. The beast rose up on its hind legs and sniffed the air, trying to find out where it's prey had gone.

Tech grunted and lifted Tia up higher out of its reach. Tia meanwhile swiveled around and this time changed her legs. Her feet seemed to disappear and were replaced by another cannon. This one concealed her legs up to her waist. She aimed the cannon that used to be her legs at the creature. "Say cheese!" She yelled as the beast roared again and reared up. It lifted one great paw ready to swipe at the suspended Tia.

The shot, a large stream of blue light, hit the beast right inside his open mouth. The light ripped through the creature. Tia swung her legs up as the light cut the creature cleanly in half.

The beast blinked once… twice… and uttered one last despairing gurgling sound before the two halves fell away from each other and landed in the mud.

Tech turned his face away as one half landed on the ground with a SPLAT. Blood flew up and spattered Tech's face. He could feel the sickly warm sticky substance as it dripped through his fur. AS well as something sharp as it grazed his right cheek.

Tia laughed in delight as Tech lowered her to the ground. She transformed her hands and legs back to normal and clapped in pleasure. The green light disappeared and she dropped to the ground. She landed rather clumsily but rolled over neatly and stood up. "That was awesome!" She yelled walking over to Tech. He stood up as well.

"How did you do that?" They asked at the same time. They both laughed nervously and blushed. The mud and gunk that covered both their faces concealed this however.

Tech stared at her. "I don't know. I con only do that with metal."

"Oh, well that explains it." Tia said. "Ever since that meteor hit I've been able to change into a machine. Not to mention I have at ton of iron in my bloodstream."

"Ah." Tech agreed. He lifter his hand and wiped the beast's blood out of his eye.

"Are you hurt?" Tia asked worried.

Tech looked down at his hand. He realized he had two colors on his hand, a dark purple-brown and very thick blood and a bright red blood. He looked over the severed corpse to see only the purple-brown blood leaking from the body. "Guess I am."

Tia reached down and picked up a small yellow-white shard. "This must have been what cut you." She offered it to him. "Here, a trophy."

"You're the one who… killed it." Tech said.

Tia offered him the shard once again. "I couldn't have without your help. Well I would have but not as cleanly. Here. Besides, I already have million of these." Tech took it, and after wiping it off, pocketed it.

"Thanks." He said. He glanced to the body. "Is this how it always?..."

"What dies?" Tia asked. Tech nodded a peculiar expression on his face. "You're not really comfortable with killing are you?"

"We never kill." Tech said.

Tia sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "That's the trouble with you people. You never recognize when it's necessary to kill. I can guarantee you that Gargler would have gladly killed us." Tech still looked uncomfortable. "Look, it's not like we're all bad. I'm not just leaving it to waste – the camp will eat well tonight." When Tech did not change his expression Tia gave up. "City-dwellers. Honestly, I think you've spent to much time with prey animals."

"What?" Tech asked.

Tia blinked at him. "Just because we live around the middle of nowhere doesn't mean we haven't heard of you. By the way, where is your group?"

Tech looked around. He had completely forgotten about the rest of the team. Tech strained his memory but the fight with the Gargler had driven the incident with Ace and Lexi, as well as which way he had come from, clear out of his thoughts. "I don't know." He said. "Somewhere in that direction." He waved behind him.

"You really shouldn't have told me that." Tia said. "I could run back to the village and tell Sylvia where you guys are. We have trackers, we could find you."

Tech took a step backward.

Tia laughed. "Don't worry. The Chief is just a little shaken. Your Chief not looking at her destroyed some of her spirit."

"It really meant that much?"

Tia shrugged, "I can't say. My family tried to kill me; I could really care less if they came to the rocket. Bet they were pleased."

"They tried to kill you?" Tech asked.

"Sure. My parents really didn't care for me. Thankfully I got away before they did any serious damage." Tia said.

Tech blinked. "Sounds like my father."

"So you know what I'm talking about?" Tia asked surprised. "I always thought city dwellers-"

"I'm not from the city. Well, not originally."

"But you're father was… You know."

"Abusive? A Tyrant? Psychopath? Evil? Yeah. Yours?"

"Same. Except add extremely creepy." Tia smiled. The two stared at each other for a moment, each waiting for the other to say something, not wanting to be the first to break the silence. "Um…" Tia said, a little awkwardly, "You… hungry? Garglers are pretty good."

"Sure." Tech said. They walked over to the huge carcass. Both of them completely oblivious to the eyes watching from the brush.

------

"What the heck is he doing?" Asked Duck. "Doesn't he know he's frat-er-en-izing with the enemy?"

"Are you sure? I mean they just saved each other." Lexi said quietly.

"Can you hear what they're saying?" Duck said watching as Tech and Tia disappeared around the carcass.

"No." Lexi lied. She did not want to tell Duck what she had just heard. She never knew Tech had a father like… that. Heck, she didn't know anything about his family or his life before the team. Just that he was a student at Acme Tech…

Duck turned to face her. "We need to tell Ace." He started to transport when Lexi grabbed his arm.

"Wait Duck. Let's not. Maybe…" she struggled to think of something to say. She had never seen Tech act like that around anyone before. He seemed so calm, and around anyone before. He seemed so calm, and around a girl! Lexi did not want the team to ruin this for Tech. After all, he never was this comfortable with anyone. "Maybe he can make friends with them and we might be able to get some help."

Duck considered this for a moment. "Maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right. But we can't tell anybody. I don't think Ace would be able to handle it."

"Yeah. Ace's leading capabilities aren't what they used to be. I think it's time we get a new leader." He puffed out his chest.

Lexi rolled here eyes. "Sure whatever Duck."

They returned heir attention to the carcass Tech and Tia had disappeared behind. "What are they doing behind there?" Duck asked.

"We can find out later, let's get back to camp." Lexi responded.

"But- What about-?" Duck started. Lexi glared at him.

"Duck!"

"Seesh fine!" He grabbed her hand and quacked out of sight.

------

Meanwhile a very different pair of eyes was watching Tech and Tia on the other side of the beast. The eyes blinked. The owner gasped quietly and then chuckled to itself in pleasure. Then it backed into the darkness of the jungle and out of sight.

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**Okay, I hope you liked this chapter. You know this story has taken on a life of it's own…. Creepy… Soon it will jump out of the computer and take over the world. O.o Hmm…. Well, I'll start on the next chapter and we'll see who's eyes were watching Tech and Tia. Dum dum dum!**

**Thanks for staying faithful!! I love you all dearly and you all get cupcakes. Please Review!**


	5. Calamity

**And now for Chapter Five! I am sooooo sorry! I'm such a horrible person for not updating- I just had horrible writer's block for this story. Not to mention I have rewritten this chapter about 10 times… But now I have a better grasp of what's going to happen in this story. See, this is kind of a bridging chapter and the next chapters flow together and I needed some sort of chapter to move from one point to another. **

**I really hate myself for taking this long to update. I feel so awful. If it makes you feel better I have the next chapter almost done.**

**Again I'm sorry. And I want to say thanks for staying with this story- I'm sooooo sorry it's taken this long to update. Thank you. And I'm sorry.**

**--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---**

**Calamity**

Something was over his eyes. He couldn't see. And something was burning. He was sure of it. He could smell something burning. It smelled like- burning hair. But what was it? What was burning? And why? He heard a scream of terror. Of pain. Immediately he wanted to help whatever or whoever had screamed. But he still couldn't see. He tried to tear off the thing that was covering his vision. It wouldn't come off. It felt as though there was nothing on his face. But then why couldn't he see? He clawed at his face trying to open his eyes. His nails scraped his skin causing him to blink as tears fell out of his eyes. Suddenly his vision cleared. He looked around. Everything was stained a red color and whatever he focused his attention on seemed to be disintegrating before his eyes. He was scared. So scared. He closed his eyes. A searing, burning pain erupted on the inside of his eyelids. He screamed. Hoping beyond hope that she would hear him calling. That she would come to help him like so many times before. He screamed, "Syyyyylllllllllvviiiiiiiiaaaaaaa–

–aaaaAAAA!!!" Ace sat straight up, kicking the blanket off of his body. He was drenched in sweat. He shook his head and pulled his legs closer to his body, resting his head on his knees. He sighed and closed his eyes, desperately trying to banish the last scene of his dreams from his memory. He didn't remember how long it had been since he had had _that_ dream. He did know that for the first few nights after the meteor hit he had been plagued by nightmares. Of course, before he learned to control his powers those nightmares had been real. Ace shuddered remembering one such dream- it was a lot like this one except he had focused on his sister. And had seen her disintegrate. Ace shut his eyes tighter as more memories and fragments of his dream came floating back. He remembered how strange it had been- the background had been a forest. Ace's head shot up cricking his neck. Ignoring the pain, he looked around him. 'These trees are just like that dream…' Ace shook his head sharply. 'No. It couldn't. It _can't_ be!' Zadavia had often told the team of visions, prophecies, and dreams. She was a firm believer that all those things were messages telling of what could be. What _would_ be.

Ace shivered again, griping his legs tighter and closing his eyes tightly. "It's okay." He told himself as the panic attack gripped him. His body rocked and forth as if attempting to bring calm to his mind.

He often had panic attacks- though he had worked hard to keep this knowledge from the team with witty comments and flashy moves. Zadavia had noticed. Of course. 'That lady never misses anything.' He thought almost ruefully. But through all of his trying to hide it Lexi had noticed as well. And for that he was slightly relieved. He knew Lexi could keep a secret. But he also thought that Tech knew, though the coyote never said anything. It was in Tech's eyes- and the way he sometimes would take control over the team in tough situations. But it unnerved him slightly every time Tech did that. Lexi and Zadavia had both talked to Ace about his panic attacks- but Tech had stayed silent... "It's okay." Ace told himself again, hating the way his voice was shaking. "It's okay."

His closed eyes sealed off the world as he concentrated on rearranging his thoughts. He rocked back and forth… back and forth… "It's okay." He whispered. The panic constricting his airway was starting to fade now…

"Ace?" Asked a quiet voice.

Ace snapped his head up, this time not only getting whiplash but cracking it as well. He lifted his hand to the newfound pain in his neck. Lexi was peering at him from the clearing of trees. Ace nodded at her. "Hey Lex." He noticed it was still dark- must be around 3 a.m. 'Oh great. Did I wake her up?' His panic stricken mind thought up another more horrible thought, 'Did I wake any of the guys up?' Duck would never let him hear the end of this…

"Panic attack?" She asked gently.

Ace nodded, looking at the ground.

Lexi moved over to him and sat down next to him. She put her arms around his shoulders. She felt him shudder and the cold sweat matting his fur. "It's okay." Lexi felt Ace lean, ever so slightly, into her. She knew it was hard for him to be like this. She held him tightly- almost holding him back. "It's okay Ace." The last thing she wanted was to lose him to panic and insecurity. Not again. She remembered her mother, always wracked with panic. One day her mother just lost it. She'd never been the same since. Ace's shoulders shivering again snapped her out of her memories. She heard Ace sigh. "This isn't just a regular attack is it?"

"No." Ace said. He knew better than to try to hide it from Lexi. She would find out anyway. "I was… having the dream again."

"The one you had after the meteor?" She asked. Ace nodded. She started to rub small circles on his back.

"Please tell me none of the guys have woken up." Ace asked.

Lexi chuckled quietly. "Don't worry- they aren't awake. Though-" She thought of something. She had meant to tell Ace before they had bedded down for the night but somehow that tidbit of information had gotten pushed to the side.

Ace tilted his head to the right, looking at Lexi, "Though what?"

"Well… um… Tech is… still gone."

"He never came back?" Ace asked. When Tech had walked off the day before he had simply disappeared. During that day the rest of the team had been brainstorming about what to do with Sylvia and the rest of her village. But Tech had never come back. Thinking back on it, Duck and Lexi did set out to find him with no luck. "So you guys never found him?"

Lexi hesitated, wondering whether or not to tell Ace what she and Duck had seen. She sighed, thinking that Duck had already told Slam and Rev and decided to tell Ace. If anyone was going to tell Ace it was going to be her. "Well… see we did find him."

"And?" Ace said, leadership taking a hold in him. He knew Lexi was hiding something.

"He… was talking with the short girl, Tia. I think her name was."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Why? What about?"

"We couldn't really hear." Lexi lied, not wanting to reveal the secret about Tech's family without his permission. That was something he had good reason to hide from the rest of the team and she was not going to break his trust in her by revealing something like that without him knowing. "But they did help each other. There was this huge beast thing that attacked them…"

"Beast thing? Was he hurt?" Ace asked.

"No. No. He's fine. But he and Tia… we lost track of them in the forest and he never came back."

Ace mulled this over in his mind. He knew that Tech, though not the best fighter in the group, was strong enough to take care of himself. But his sister was smart too- and had sounded serious in her threat. But, if Tech and this Tia had become friends… Maybe it would save Tech from Sylvia's rage. "They weren't fighting each other?"

"No." Lexi said, hoping Ace didn't suspect she was hiding anything about what she and Duck had seen.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to ask Tech what they were talking about when he gets back." Ace decided.

Lexi shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sure he'll tell us if he found out anything important. We probably don't need to ask him…"

Ace looked at her curiously. Lexi seemed distracted and uncomfortable. She wasn't telling him something. "Lexi? What is it?"

She looked away from him. She didn't know if she could keep Tech's secret by herself. She wanted to talk to Tech about it. She wanted to talk to Ace about it. 'But Tech hasn't told any of us. And we've known him for two years. So maybe he doesn't want any of us to know… But maybe telling Ace won't be a bad thing… Ace can keep a secret. And he and Tech are pretty good friends… Maybe Tech won't mind. No. I can't tell.' Lexi shook her head. "It's nothing Ace. Really. It's nothing." She looked into his confused eyes and pleaded silently with him to not ask her. She dearly hoped that Ace could understand that she would tell him later. But she just couldn't tell him now. Not until she had talked to Tech.

Ace nodded at her, understanding her silent request. He may have been a man, and thus part of the sex that did not pick up on subtle signals very well but he prided himself of being able to pick up on Lexi's at least. "So… do you think that Tech could convince Tia to become an ally?"

"I think so. They seemed to hit it off pretty well." Lexi said, feeling confident that Ace would understand what she was hinting at. She was pretty sure that Tech would not mind if she shared that bit of information.

But only _pretty_ sure. After all, no one knew that she had gone back to the carcass to eavesdrop on her friend. No it wasn't _eavesdropping_ she just wanted to see why Tech was all of a sudden Mr.-Talk-To-A-Complete-Stranger-About-Things-You-Haven't-Shared-With-Your-Friends. And besides the girl in her wanted to know what was going on.

Of course, that was where the trouble had started… She overheard things she desperately wished she hadn't...

---~~~```***```~~~---

Sylvia waited quietly in the undergrowth. She watched the deer she had been stalking sniff the air and put its head down to graze. She put her hands together manifesting the power she had been granted from the meteor into a long spear. Her breathing quickened as she raised it up to aim. The leaves around her elbow rustled as she slowly moved the yellow glowing stick back to the best angle. The deer put it's head up listening- ears up for cause of the disturbance. Sylvia stopped breathing and remained still as stone. She hoped that the yellow sheen of her spear was not too bright for the deer to see. But apparently the deer thought the yellow light was from the sun and it relaxed slightly. Then, slowly… slowly, she aimed the spear at the deer's chest.

"Hey Sylvia!"

The sound came from nowhere. Sylvia jumped and the spear flew off propelled by her surprise. The deer turned it's head to the oncoming light and jumped. The spear nicked the deer's ear leaving a bright red drop of blood hanging like an earring as it pranced off to the thicker part of the forest. It's white tail up like a flag in its terrified flight. She didn't even blink before the deer was gone. The spear was the only thing left in the area- glowing faintly as she allowed her powers to dissipate.

Her arm started to sting violently. "Shiiiiiiii!" Sylvia yelled as she clapped her hand to her now bleeding elbow. She glanced behind her to see a small branch sticking out that had caught her when she threw the spear. "Butch! I told you not to sneak up on me!"

Butch came lumbering into view. He smiled apologetically at her. "Sorry." He glanced down to Sylvia's arm. "Oh geez, did I hurt you?" He knelt down next to her. "I'm sorry."

"No. It was my fault." She lifted her hand to show the damage. The top layer of fur and skin on her arm had been scraped off by the branch leaving a bloody trail about and inch wide down the back of her forearm. "Ouch, that stings."

Butch smiled. "I can make it better." He said sweetly. Gently he took her hand in his, lifted her arm and kissed it.

Sylvia giggled. "Butch…"

He looked up at her smiling broadly. "Sorry you lost your deer."

"What deer?" Sylvia said smiling too. "I've got my dear right here." She leaned forward and kissed him.

Butch kissed her back and then lifted his arms to encircle her. He lifted Sylvia up onto his left shoulder. She laughed and hugged his neck. "Shall we go home then Syl?" He asked.

Sylvia held onto his left hand and squeezed it. "Sure. Let's go home. No good hunting with you around." She teased.

He started to walk off- Sylvia still on his shoulder. They kept holding hands and they walked through the jungle. Butch knew the trail so well he already knew where to walk to avoid hitting Sylvia against a tree branch. They walked, enjoying the scenery. But, it was still about a half a mile to the village when Sylvia spoke.

"So what have you been doing today?"

"Well, Michael and Sven have discovered the moving roots behind the kitchen, and a new waterfall with a small cave behind it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and they wouldn't stop pestering me until I went to see it. I think it was something about the cave being 'structurally sound'."

"Michael said 'structurally sound'?" Sylvia asked, impressed.

"No Sven did."

Sylvia shook her head in amusement. "Those two. They'll be the death of you yet."

Now it was Butch who laughed. "No way. As long as you're here I can survive anything." He swung her down until he was holding her in his arms like a bride and groom. She giggled and adjusted her arms to hold his neck tighter. Butch looked down at her. Her green eyes were beautiful. She nuzzled her head into his broad chest contentedly. "Sylvia…" He said. Not sure how to say the next words. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Sure. I'll be fine. It's just a scratch."

"No. I mean about your… brother."

Sylvia's face fell. "Well, yeah I think so. It was just really… unexpected." She said quietly, not look at him.

Butch looked down at her again. "But I mean… I guess I hope that you two can resolve your differences… But when you do… Will you be?..." Sylvia cocked her head to the side, making her ears temporarily fall in her face. She always looked so cute when she did that. "I mean… you're not going to go… back with him are you?"

Sylvia smiled. "No way. I would-" she caught sight of Butch's face and frowned as she saw how serious this concern was weighing on Butch. "No. I would never leave you." She hugged him tightly lifting herself up to his face. "I would never leave." She kissed him and Butch stopped walking. But he still held her tightly as though preventing her from disappearing on him. He looked down at her again worry still etched on his features. "I would never, ever leave this place." Sylvia said quietly. "He may be my brother but _this_ is my home. And _you_," she hugged him harder, "are my family." She kissed him again.

Butch hugged her hard and kissed her back. Immediately Sylvia could feel Butch become happier. When they broke apart he started to walk again. There was a new spring in his step now that he was certain that his girl was not going to run off on him. "I love you Syl."

"I love you too Butch." Sylvia smiled. She leaned her head into his chest and hugged his neck and those small words resounded in each of them a much deeper and truer phase. This exchange was their hearts communicating silently of a love that was as powerful as anything they had encountered in their scarred lives. And just as soon as this feeling had surfaced it dived into the deepest recesses of their hearts to beat just as strongly as the organ in which it nestled and for just as important a purpose.

"So tell me, you big marshmallow, did you spend all day going to Michael and Sven's cave? I thought that Himilton wanted you to get him a whole bunch of firewood for dinner tonight. Is he planning something?" The rest of the time was spent talking about how their respective days had gone. Butch walking, Sylvia nestled in his arms and both smiling and laughing at the joy of being together… as though the thought of them parting had never entered their minds.

---~~~```***```~~~---

"What?!?!?!?" Tia said laughing wildly. "Are you serious?"

"I am totally serious!" Tech said with equal mirth.

Tia wiped her eyes, "Did the want to blow their hands off?"

"I know! I know! It's ridiculous!" Tech laughed. "Using an inverted aerial cord for a concave window-tied plug."

"Idiots." They said at the same time. The two of them looked at each other and quickly looked away. An awkward silence passed, once of many they had recently shared over the past day and night.

They had started out just sharing a meal and they started talking. Tech had never felt so comfortable with anyone- they talked about everything. Tech found himself telling Tia things that he had never told anyone. Before long, they had settled down around the fire, leaning against the remains of the gargler still talking about everything they could think of.

They were unaware that Lexi was watching and listening from behind a bush.

They bounced ideas off each other that their friends could have never understood…

"What if the reversed flux line was replaced with a semi-opulent steel well?" Tia asked.

"Hmm…" said Tech, mulling over the new idea in his head, "That could work but there would be a 69.57213% chance that it would just end up blowing your head off before you could stabilize it."

"Only in high wind circumstances."

"True- unless the barometric temperature drops to below 5 Kelvin."

"There is that…"

To these conversations Lexi only sat there as if it were white noise. She let the two voices wash over her- at points almost lulling her into sleep.

They told each other their suspicions of their friends…

"It's really sad- they keep trying to hide it but it's so obvious that Ace and Lexi are 'together'."

"I know what you mean- it's like 'just admit it already we already know it's true.' We have the same problem with Himilton and Twity…"

Lexi had to fight herself from jumping up to dispel the rumor about her and Ace but caught herself before she let on that she was there.

But the one subject they kept coming back to was their families…

"I used to go to sleep outside in the woods than having to go back home." Tia said. "Cold hard ground and peace was better than a warm bed and hell. Besides, wild animals were safer to be around than my parents."

Tech nodded. "I did the same thing except my brother would always end up coming to get me."

"Your brother?"

'Brother?' Lexi thought. 'I didn't know he had a brother!'

"Yeah. He was always looking out for me."

"Hiding's easier than… well, the alternative." Tia said quietly, her voice almost dying away as she reached the end of her sentence. Tech put his arm around her. "So is that why you moved to the city?" She asked him.

"I got as far away as I could as fast as I could."

"What about your brother?"

Tech shook his head. "He's dead." He said simply.

"I'm sorry."

'DEAD?' Lexi thought her mouth dropping open. 'His brother is DEAD? What the hell? And all she can say is sorry? Oh my-'

"Don't be. You had nothing to do with it."

Lexi switched her view to look at Tech through the leaves. 'Huh? What kind of response is that?'

Tech leaned forward slightly and poked the dying fire with a stick, stirring up tiny flames in the heart of the coals. Tia watched him for a moment and when he leaned back she spoke. "Hey Tech? This is going to sound weird but… were left-handed at one point in your life?"

Tech looked down at her, eyebrows raised. "Yes. How'd you know?"

"Well, I saw your left hand twitch just a second before your right hand grabbed that branch. It was kinda like you were trying to use your left hand and then stopped yourself."

If Tech could go pale under his fur he must have after that statement. He shifted uncomfortably and looked away from Tia. For a heart-stopping moment he focused on the bush were Lexi was hiding. She froze praying he didn't see her when he looked up at the sky. "Yeah. I used to be left-handed."

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking." Tia said.

"It's kind of a long story."

"We've got time." Tia said, leaning back against his chest and looking up too. "If you want to tell."

Tech's arm squeezed her shoulder ever so slightly- a movement that did not escape noticing by the rabbit in the brush. Then he spoke. "It was all my fault actually." He said quietly.

Lexi started. Tech's eyes were no longer full of confidence as she had always seen them. Though he had been a kind of outcast in the group he had always seemed proud of it. And never once did he ever seem scared. True he yelled when he was disintegrated but that must hurt… But now, his eyes were soft, vulnerable, like a child's. They were opened wide and stared blankly out into the darkness of the forest as though seeing something else there.

"What was?" Tia urged. Lexi thought for a moment how insensitive Tia must be to keep pushing Tech when it was obvious he didn't want to-

"My arm being broken."

'Apparently he does want to talk.'

Tia nodded. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Well, people are always saying that talking about things is the best cure…" Tech said.

Tia didn't speak this time. She just looked up at him and leaned further into his chest. He looked down at her, as though asking permission to speak and she nodded.

"It was in the winter… when I was 11 I think…

***Flashback***

Tech held up the small box to the light. In the polished metal he could see himself reflected, his brown fur almost black because of how dark it was, his oil stained camouflage shirt and khaki pants, his olive eyes wide and excited… And who could blame him? He had finally finished! Finally!

He set the box down. He couldn't believe it. After all this time he had finally finished it. Maybe this time his father would be proud of him. He stood there staring at it when an arm encircled his chest.

His older brother, a tall coyote with tan fur, wearing a purple jacket, blue shirt and jeans gave him a noogie as he hugged him. "Hey there T. What'cha got there?" He asked staring at the box.

"It's an automatic game finder Nate." He said. Tech picked up a small clipboard with complicated drawings and measurements on it and showed it to his brother. "See?" He said, his high-undeveloped tenor voice making him sound more like a five-year-old than an eleven-year-old.

Nate looked down at the clipboard, confusion filling his large dark green eyes. "No… Sorry bro… All that looks like is scribbles to me." He said, straightening up and taking off his jacket.

Tech whipped the clipboard away and hid it behind his back. "I'm sorry. He said, turning his eyes downward.

Nate kneeled down next to him. The older coyote of 18 had towered over his little brother. And he knew exactly why his brother was sorry. "Hey- no way buddy. You got nothing to be sorry fer. I just don't understand that math stuff you love so much." Tech opened his mouth to say sorry again but his brother cut him off. "Look, don't be sorry okay? You're smarter than me at this kind of thing. And that's awesome! I could never build something like that." He pointed to the box still sitting on the table. "What did you say it was called again?"

"An automatic game finder."

"Cool. An AGF. Say that it sounds cooler." Nate said smiling broadly at his brother. The sight of a coyote baring all of his teeth at someone would usually send them scurrying away. But Tech, he never ran away from him. Tech smiled back a little but still looked slightly stressed. "Hey, why don't you show me how it works? I bet I could understand it then."

"Okay!" The young coyote said. He turned the box to the side and pointed at the two buttons on the top, one green and one yellow.

"What are the buttons for?" Asked Nate.

"The green one turns it on and the yellow one turns it off." Tech said.

"Cool."

Tech pressed the green button and the box sprouted legs. It picked itself up and stood with four spindly legs. A small screen appeared on the side, showing what was directly in front of it. Then the box turned and focused on the old pig lying in the corner of the barn they were in. It beeped and a tiny laser pointed at the pig's chest. Pinpointing the best place to shoot it.

"See now?" Tech asked. "It finds the best target in the area and then points a laser to where the best place to shoot it would be."

"That's awesome T!" Nate exclaimed. He hugged his brother, smiling widely, again showing off his teeth. "That is so cool. How did you build that?" Tech opened his mouth but before he could speak Nate clamped his muzzle closed. "No on second thought- don't tell me. I wouldn't get it anyway. Besides- this is so cool!"

The pig woke up and started to walk to another corner of the barn and the little laser followed it.

"You're a genius man. A genius. Why don't you do any better in school?" Asked Nate.

"Father doesn't like it when I get better grades than he did.' Tech said softly.

Nate sighed and put a hand on Tech's shoulder. "Now you listen to me T- nothing that dad says means anything. When you get older I'm taking you to a high school in the city and you can get the grades you deserve okay? You shouldn't be afraid of what dad says. You're a genius- so don't be afraid to show the world that. Alright?"

Tech nodded.

"I'm serious T! Don't ever let anything Dad says get to you."

Tech nodded again, adding a small smile.

Nate smiled back. "Good. Now come on- it's getting late. I know you love to tinker around with your mechanic-whatsits but it's cold. Put that away and come inside when you're done. I don't want you catching a cold or something."

"Okay Nate."

"I'll see ya later bud. I promised Michelle I'd some see her tonight. I'll be back soon."

"Okay. See ya later!" Tech said. He waved to his brother as Nate pulled on his purple jacket and walked out of the barn. He turned back to the box and pressed the yellow button. The box folded its legs back into itself and the laser disappeared. Tech's long ears perked up as he heard the telltale sound of his brother's motorcycle start up and drive away. He picked up the box and pocketed it. Then he clicked off the lights before he too walked out of the barn.

Nate had been right. It was freezing outside. Tech ran to the door of the house and dashed inside. He shook his head free of the snow that had caught in it and took off his boots to leave them by the door. He kept his jacket on, as the house was still quite cold. He wondered how much colder it would have been for humans as he had his thick winter coat _and_ a jacket too. But that wasn't what his mind was focused on now. He had to hide his new invention so his father wouldn't see it. At least not yet.

He ran up the stairs to a small room more like an attic than anything. Inside there was a small mattress filled with leaves and straw that served as a bed and a few miscellaneous boxes serving as tables and shelves. Tech looked around and decided the best place to hide his new item was inside the mattress. As he opened the cotton cover he heard the sound of his father's voice.

"Where the hell is your brother?!" He yelled up the stairs.

Tech shoved the small box inside the mattress and closed up the tear. He quickly went down the stairs not looking at his father.

Unfortunately, it seemed he didn't have a choice.

His father, called George by his parents but Greydon by his peers, grabbed him at the scruff of the neck and brought his young son up to his face. "I asked you a question. Ain't ya gonna answer me? Or are ya too smart to talk to normal people like me?"

Tech looked fearfully into his father's small eyes that always reminded Tech of mud. "N…No sir. I… I wanted to speak to you face to face… Umm..."

His father, a very tall and muscular coyote with dark brown, almost black, fur shook him and Tech was very glad he had not kept the small box in his pocket. His own brain seemed to be sloshing around in his head and he had no doubt that the box would have fallen out. "Answer the question!" His father roared at him.

"He went to see Michelle." He said, hoping this would calm his father. At almost 6 foot 5 the adult would have towered over the child had he not been suspended in the air. And that terrified his son. No one ever dared to disobey even the slightest orders given. Even the other anthropomorphic animals stayed far away from the coyote's house and even further from his children. Once, a kindly goose had tried to get Tech and Nate to come with him on a school trip. When Tech's father had gotten done with him Tech and Nate both sported black eyes and the goose disappeared. Tech knew that if he just did what his father told him he wouldn't get hurt.

Tech's father dropped him. He tried to gain his footing but slipped and fell down the two or three steps to the hard dirt floor.

"Damn kid. Why don't he ever just stay here? He's not gonna get anywhere with that bitch…"

"Don't call Michelle that." Tech said quietly. He clapped a hand over his mouth, instantly regretting his words.

"What did you say to me?"

"Nothing." Tech whimpered.

"That's right. Nothing." His father said. Then, turning sharply on his heel he walked over to another part of the house.

Tech stood up as he watched his father grab a random piece of meat from the fridge. From what he could see at this distance- it was still dripping with blood. He quickly looked away. He loved meat as much as the next coyote but the blood thing… That was just disturbing.

"Oi! You hungry or what?" Greydon yelled, sending bits of meat and blood across the room.

Tech's tail twitched slightly at the sight of blood falling to the ground. He knew who would be blamed for _that_ later. And it definitely was not his father. But maybe it wouldn't be too bad if he gave it to his father now. 'Yeah! Now!' He thought. "Father- I um…"

His father looked at him from across the room. "What?"

"I made you something. Do you want to see it?" Tech asked, wishing his voice wasn't so high and shaky.

His father looked confused. "Huh?"

Tech fought the urge not to smile – his father was actually interested! "I'll go get it!" He said. He could not keep the excitement out of his voice as he ran back up the steps. He grabbed the small box, flicking off a piece of straw still stuck to it. He cupped it gently in his hand and ran back down. "Here!" He held it out as he ran up to his father.

His father raised an eyebrow at his son and grabbed the box. He looked at it. "What is it?"

Tech bit his bottom lip. He had to be careful the way he explained it. Too much explaining and his father still wouldn't get it- too much… and he didn't want to think what would happen to him. "It's an automa-" Tech stopped, remembering what Nate said… 'An AGF. Say that it sounds cooler.' Tech took a breath. "It's an AGF."

His father stared at the box. Then at his son. "An uhgufuff?" He said, sounding out the letters. "What's an uhgufuff?"

Tech knew better than to laugh. "It's an Automatic Game Finder. If you press the green button it will locate the best prey in the area and point out where to shoot it with a laser."

Tech's father didn't say anything. He pressed the green button. The box, just like before, sprouted legs and stood up. From its perch it started to scan the room – the laser finally landing on a pelt across the room. The laser was targeting where the heart would have been- if the pelt had still been on its owner. His father didn't move as he stared at he laser. His own hunting abilities trying to figure out if the laser was right.

Tech waited on pins and needles for the judgment to fall. He never impressed his father- ever. If just this once… maybe his father would be proud of him… or at least… not ashamed. Just as this tiny hope began to grow in his chest his father frowned. Tech's stomach vanished.

"What's this supposed to mean?" His father growled. Tech opened his mouth to answer but his father was already shoving the box into his face. "WHAT'S THIS SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"

"I just thought it might help." Tech said, as his body started to shake.

"Oh, you think your old man can't figure out how to kill something anymore? IS THAT IT?"

"No Sir! No! That's not-"

"Do you think I can't do anything anymore? Is that it?"

"No! I-"

"You trying to make me out as a **weakling**?"

"No!"

"You ungrateful little rat! What the hell do you think you're trying to pull huh? Think you're smarter than me huh? Trying to tell me I'm old or something?" His father grabbed the back of his neck again, which was still sore from the first time, and lifted him up. "ARE YOU TRYING TO INSULT ME?"

"No!" Tech said, gasping. His father threw the box behind him. Tech felt a twinge of pain when he heard it land. 'I spent all month on that!' He thought.

His father started to shake him violently. "YOU UNAPPRECIATIVE SCUM! YOU'RE SAYING I'M **WEAK**! AREN'T YOU?" By now, his father was starting to take a step or two with every couple of shakes. Soon, Tech could feel the wall behind his back. "Damn kid! You're always trying to show me up, ALWAYS! Think you're better than everyone else huh? You with your _brain power_! HAH! Can you're big brain save you from this?"

Tech closed his eyes. He didn't want to see this. He had seen it too many times before…

*WHACK*

The punch landed squarely on Tech's forehead. Tech could feel the bruise forming already and a bump to go with it. He whimpered in pain, but his father was far from done.

*BANG*

He felt himself slam into the wall behind him – hard. *BANG* and again. *BANG* and again. "SHIT! FUCK YOU STUPID-" Tech felt his stomach come back and twist into a knot as the next punch connected with his gut. His father dropped him and kicked him squarely in the ribs. "STUPID! BRAINLESS! WEAK! PATHETIC PIECE OF SHIT!" Each yelled word was accented with another kick. Tech screamed as he heard a sickening crack. Then Tech felt his nose break as his father's foot connected with his face. Tech yelped loudly. "YOU'RE A DISGRACE! DO YOU HEAR ME?"

Tech didn't answer. He opened one bleary eye to see his father bend down and pull him up by his ears.

"I said, DO YOU HEAR ME?"

Tech whimpered again, fear robbing him of speech.

"IDIODIC WASTE OF A COYOTE!" His father screamed at him. He punched him again in the face opening a cut above his right eye. He started to shake him again.

Tech was starting to loose feeling in his hands and feet… He could barely see for the pain and the blood… But wait… Was that? Tech thought he could hear the motor of Nate's motorcycle. 'No!' He thought, 'Don't come in Nate! Don't come in! I don't want to get you in trouble too!'

But his thoughts were interrupted.

"WHAT THE HELL???"

Nate barged in. He knew something was wrong when he saw his dad's silhouette in the window. Usually his dad would already have retreated back into the basement.

But not tonight. "Tech!" Nate yelled. His brother looked horrible. Blood seeped from a cut on his forehead, and more than one bruise was starting to show beneath his fur. His dad had his little brother dangling a foot or so off the ground by his ears. "PUT HIM DOWN!" He roared.

But his father didn't care to listen to him. "Why should I?" He called, teasingly. He backed up from the wall to the table and grabbed a handy knife lying there. "This waste of breath don't deserve no pity!"

"PUT HIM DOWN NOW!"

"OOOH! Has the baby finally grown up? You think you can scare me? FINE THEN!"

His father threw Tech and the knife across the room. Tech collided with the opposite wall on top of the knife. He screamed loudly as he felt the knife cut deeply into his tail. Tech landed awkwardly, his left arm bent beneath him backwards and from what he was feeling- broken. He tried to get up but mistakenly put pressure on his left arm. He yelped and fell down again.

"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PROVE KID?" That was his father.

"YOU WILL NEVER TOUCH ANOTHER HAIR ON TECH AGAIN!" Nate. His brother!

Tech opened his eyes and saw his brother and his father ready to attack each other. Everything was blurry and stained in a red hue from the blood trickling into his eye.

"Oh really?" Asked his father.

"Yeah!" Nate said. "I just found a place- Tech and I are going there tonight and you can't do shit about it!"

"Can't do shit huh?" His father laughed.

"SHUT YOUR CAN GREYDON!" Nate shrieked. "YOU STAY AWAY FROM TECH OR I'LL HAVE TO HURT YOU!"

"Hurt me?" Laughed his father. "Hurt me!? You can't touch me. _I'm_ you're father whether or not your bitch of a mother thought so-"

"YOU SHUT UP ABOUT MY MOTHER!"

"SHE WAS A WHORE AND YOU KNOW IT!"

"SHE DIED TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF ME AND TECH! SO SHUT UP!" Nate shrieked as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I CAN DO WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT!" Greydon bellowed. "I'M YOUR FATHER!"

Nate couldn't take his anymore. He lunged catching his father by surprise. He grabbed Greydon around the middle and tackled him to the ground.

They struggled there for a moment before Greydon took the upper hand. He brought his legs up and kicked Nate off, propelling his oldest into a table. Nate shook his head clear as his father dived. He turned to the left but he was too late. Greydon bite down hard on his son's right shoulder and held fast. Nate howled loudly as the sharp teeth dug into his flesh before he turned his head and bit back. He caught his father on the neck. Greydon raised his hand and smacked Nate, effectively removing Nate from his neck. He then got his feet under him and, just like with Tech, lifted his son off the ground by the scruff of the neck. Nate struggled violently as Greydon started to slam him against the table over and over.

Tech struggled to get up from the corner, which he vaguely remembered as the corner where he was usually sent by his father before and after a beating. He had to help. Or get help. He couldn't just let Nate get beat up like this!

Tech looked up again to see a sight that would remain in his mind for the rest of his life…

Nate kicked his dad and stood up. But his father recovered to quickly. Before he or Tech knew what was happening Greydon had grabbed the young kyote and threw him against the wall. But instead of hitting the wall, Nate hit part of the window. His head and left shoulder smashed the glass and fell through to the outside. The rest of his body followed. Before his head disappeared outside, Tech saw a scared look on his brother's face. Their eyes connected and Nate blinked. Then he was gone.

"NATE!" Tech yelled. He forgot his own pain- only his brother filled his mind. He pushed himself up and ran to the window. His hands grabbed at the sill covered in broken glass and blood. He looked out the window but couldn't see anything. Whether it was because of the blood or the darkness he would never know. But in that stunned moment the pain in his hands pushed their way to the foremost in his mind. He pulled his hands away from the sharp glass. His father grabbed his left wrist and twisted hard. Tech screamed again as his father threw him back into the corner. Tech landed on his tail, bleeding freshly from the recent impact with the knife. Tech was starting to cry now, which only increased his own pain as the salt from his tears fell into his cuts and scrapes. His head had been smacked against the wall hard from his last collision with it. He lifted his right hand to feel a large gash in the back of his head. He felt something smooth- his skull?!?

He saw his father smile evilly at him. Tech averted his eyes. "No one insults Greydon. NO ONE!" He yelled triumphantly. Greydon smiled widely, showing all his teeth, at his young son. He saw a tiny laser pointing at Tech's chest. "Fitting." He spat out. Then he walked into another room a disappeared.

Tech did not see the laser. He tried to make himself get up. But everything hurt too much. He lay there, crumpled on his side where he had fallen as darkness crowded the edge of his sight. He blinked, desperately trying to stay conscious- trying to get to his brother! But he couldn't and the darkness overtook his vision as he passed out.

_Many hours later…_

Tech opened his left eye. His right was sealed with dried blood. Everything in him hurt like hell. But that wasn't important- Nate. Nate! What happened to Nate? Tech pushed himself up using his right arm. He crawled to the window, not trusting his legs… He forced himself up to peer out the window. He rubbed his right eye clear and saw what he hoped would not be there. Nate lay below… his mouth open, his head in a pool of blood that was way to big. Nate's green eyes were open to the sky and his whole body looked… wrong. He wasn't moving.

Part of Tech already knew what had happened. But the other part was screaming how it couldn't be. His logic said that Nate was dead- but his very being rebelled against the fact. He started to think. 'I can't see him breathing because it's dark and I can't see very well. He's blinking when I am so it looks like he's not blinking. He's laying there because he wants to be sure Father isn't coming back…' But he knew. He _knew_. Nate was gone.

A rustle behind him brought him back to the real world. The horrible, painful real world. Tech hurried back to the corner where he had been. But his father did not emerge from the basement. He leaned against the wall. His tail throbbed and he looked at it. The knife had almost completely cut off almost 2 inches of it. The last 2 inches were hanging on by a small stretch of skin. Tech wrapped his right hand around this bit and pulled. The now detached part of his tail was dropped on the ground. Tech whimpered. He saw lying on the floor the tiny box he had so vainly hoped would please his father. He saw the laser. It was on his chest- right over his heart. Tech's eyes filled with tears. He wished he did not see the irony in it. He started to cry again, and this time he didn't care how bad the tears hurt. He sobbed and sobbed for he didn't know how long. Until finally his exhausted body collapsed into a heap and he fell into a fitful sleep. Rustles that could have been his father bothered him all night. And the dreams that followed were the most terrifying he had ever had.

_Hours later…_

Tech's tail twitched uncomfortably. He sat up. Tech didn't dare move his left arm. He didn't think his legs would hold him if he stood up so he crawled to the stairs and up into his room. Tears fell down his face as he moved. Every single part of him hurt. He didn't remember a beating from his father that had been that bad. His mind was reeling. "Nate. Nate." He whispered to himself.

Tech rolled onto the straw-filled mattress. His left arm flopped uselessly beside him. He whimpered quietly before setting to work. With his right arm he reached under the mattress and brought out a roll of cloth. He began to wrap his left arm tightly, attempting to realign his bones. Every movement and slightest touch felt like fire to the young coyote. Tears rolled down his face anew as he remembered his brother. "Nate." He said. "Nate."

The wrapping down on his arm- he tried to figure out what else had happened to him. He felt like something was wrong with his chest. It was harder to breathe. Vaguely he thought of his ribs breaking. He reached back to feel the back of his head. On the back of his head the skin had been broken and the flesh stripped off. He felt smooth bone under his fingertips. He shuddered and yelped as the pain began to rise.

'How ironic.' He thought, as he wrapped more cloth around his head. 'This whole thing is because I'm smarter than Dad and I get this to show for it.' He frowned deeper. He didn't understand what was so bad about being smart. He didn't like it when someone was smarter than he was but he would never do what his father did. But he didn't want to disappoint his father either. 'I just wanted to make him proud of me…' Tech thought as he vainly searched his mind for reasons why he was so disappointing o his father. 'Maybe if I get better at hunting or something like that… Don't be so smart… Maybe then…' He shook his head and put down the cloth- hiding it once again in the mattress. 'There must be something I can do to make him proud of me. Something…'

Then it hit him: if he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong with him he'd just change as much as he could. He used his brain a lot to figure things out. So maybe if he didn't think as much and didn't spend so much time inventing things his father would like him better. He was left-handed too. Tech didn't see why that would matter but decided to become right-handed. Everything must be assumed wrong until he could pinpoint exactly what to change.

Change. Boy, would that be a familiar word for the future. Tech laid down on his back – careful not to bend his still sore tail. He lay there for he didn't know how long. Thinking about Nate. He still couldn't believe it. His brother. Nate. Nate- who had always protected him. Nate who had always made him feel better. Nate who understood him. Nate who had such great ideas for the future. Nate who was going to take him to the city. Nate who said he would never leave him.

Nate who said he would never leave…

Tech sat up, no baring to la still any longer. Propelled by his grief he sought out fresh air. He dragged himself to the tiny window and looked down. Below was… nothing. Nothing? Tech shook his head. There was nothing there. But he was looking right where Nate's… he couldn't bare to even think the word… where Nate should be.

But there was nothing. No Nate, no blood, no footprints. Not even an indentation in the snow of where something had been. Tech sniffed. He knew what had happened. But his mind refused to believe. Part of him knew Nate was dead. But still part believed that Nate might still have a chance. Maybe Nate could be saved… Maybe Nate had gotten up and run off to Michelle's place.

But he knew. Tech's legs gave out as he collapsed beneath the window. The tears came more forcefully as full fledged sobs racked his small frame. He opened his mouth and howled. Howled for himself. Howled for Michelle who would never see Nate again. Howled for Nate who would never come back. Howled for how unfair it all was. He howled and howled to the wind and the sky asking why. Why? What did he do? What was wrong with him?

"WHY? WHY NATE?" He howled. "IT'S NOT FAIR! NATE!" He curled up into as small of a ball as possible. "Nate." He whispered.

Then he raised his head and again- howled for how unfair it was because his older brother didn't deserve to die. He howled because his brother was dead and there was nothing he could do.

No Nate shouldn't have died. He didn't do anything wrong.

"No. I was the one that should have died." Tech whispered. "It's all my fault." He said and howled as loudly as he could:

"IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"

***End Flashback***

Lexi sat there like stone as Tech finished his story. Her mind wasn't reeling. It was completely blank. She never thought that Tech had ever gone through anything like that. When her own mother had died she was there so she could sympathize with seeing someone close to her die. But to have it happen because of someone else close to you… Lexi didn't know what to do. She had to tell someone about this. She longed to burst out of the bushes and confront Tech about it. She knew he would be made whenever he found out she had been eavesdropping but she had to talk to him. She had to talk to someone!

Just as she thought about getting up from the bushed she heard a noise.

Tia was speaking. "Tech. I- I'm sorry." She put a hand on his arm. As Lexi watched she noticed something glinting off Tech's cheeks. Was he?...

Lexi gasped. Tech was crying. She had never – ever seen the coyote cry before. She had always viewed him a little like Slam. A strong, confident member of the team- one that she could always view as a rock. But one of her rocks was cracking right before her eyes.

"It's fine." Tech said. "Besides- I've moved on."

Tia looked up at him. "Are you really okay?"

Tech didn't look at her. Instead he looked at the bush Lexi was hiding in. His canine senses told him something was lurking there- but he didn't care. Tech looked back up at the sky and hugged Tia closer. "Yeah. I'm just glad I'm not alone. It's been a long time since I've talked about this."

Lexi felt a slight twinge of jealously at those words. 'He's only known this girl like a day! He's known us for years! Why didn't he ever talk to us?' Then something struck her. Tia had connected with Tech on a level none of the team had. She and the rest of the team usually spent their time in the main lobby. While Tech was busy doing something or other in the lab… They had never really tried to get to know Tech like they did the rest of the team. Lexi felt horrible now. 'I can't believe it…' She felt awful for not trying to speak to Tech more often. Why hadn't she reached out more?

"I'm glad to be here." Tia said. She leaned back into Tech. "So… is that why you're right handed now?"

Tech laughed dryly. "Yeah."

Tia looked up at him. "So… where are your parents now?"

Lexi leaned in. This was something she really wanted to know. The romantic in her almost felt that she could help Tech. if she knew more.

"Still back where I left them. My mom's been dead for years so I expect she hasn't moved."

Lexi's eyes widened at how calmly the coyote said that. _His own mother?_ She could never talk about her mother's death that calmly.

"… But as for my father I swear he's just staying alive just to spite me." He looked down at her as they both smiled.

Lexi blinked. Tech was so peaceful right now. Though she still desperately wanted to talk to Tech about what she had just heard she knew a tender moment when she saw one. She smiled slightly at the picture of the most reclusive Loonatic hanging out with a girl. She looked up. It was still dark though a few stars seemed to have disappeared.

Lexi backed up to where she could stand up without being seen. 'I'd better get back to the team before they notice I'm gone.' She smiled again at the thought of Tech and Tai together in the glow of the fire. Then frowned as she remembered the fresh tears still glistening on Tech's cheeks… Lexi sighed. She needed to talk to someone about it. Maybe she could talk to Ace…

Lexi walked back down the trail she had come from.

_Later_

Tech and Tia had fallen asleep next to each other. After Tech's story they had continued to talk about their families. Tia shared her own story but they both agreed that Tech's was much better. They didn't even realize that they had been out as long as they had until they both looked up at the stars disappearing into the morning sun. Then it hit them.

"Oh man, it can't be morning already!" Tia said, leaning forward enough to show her excitement but not far enough to leave Tech's embrace. She looked back at Tech. "Have we really been talking all night?"

"I guess so." Tech said, looking around at the smoldering remains of the fire in front of them. He looked at her. Her eyes overwhelmed him. They were a deep green tinted with brown around the edges. As he looked into them a thought popped into his mind. "Hey, Tia…"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't the fire bother us last night? Or the trees?"

Tia smiled. "That's the trick. If we completely focus on something and don't concentrate on the sounds then we don't hear them. Basically it's an advanced form of selective hearing."

"Interesting." Tech said.

"Mmm-hmmm… We should probably get back – our friends will be worried." Tia said, leaning back into his arms as though reluctant to leave his warms arms.

"We probably should go." He said. But he too didn't make any move to leave. He fought the urge to hold Tia tighter. His arm didn't listen to him and gently squeezed Tia tighter against him. "But then again, no one knows we're here." He said quietly- not believing the words coming from his own mouth.

Tia smiled and leaned into him. "True, but how can they get on without us?" Then shifted and stood up. "Well come on big guy we really should get back to the village." She moved over the fire, stamping it out as she passed. She bent down to pick up some of the dried meat they had set aside the night before.

"We?" Tech asked blankly. Tia shot him a 'come and get me' look and smiled. "Oh." Tech said, feeling like an idiot. He stood up faster than he meant to and tripped over his own feet. He regained his footing with an "I meant to do that." Which earned another pleasant musical laugh from Tia. He picked up meat as well and they started to walk down a partially covered path.

They threw each other soft smiles as they walked further into a deeper and darker part of the forest. The moment didn't last. "So where are we going?"

"The village, remember?"

A thought entered his mind, "But-"

"Don't worry. You'll be safe as long as you stay with me."

"Like I'd ever leave."

Before long, Tech started to hear the voices of the forest again. This time it didn't seem to bother him as much as before. But he chalked that up to Tia being with him. He wanted to ask Tia something but his mind was pushed to something else.

They had entered the village. The small thatched huts were brightly lit up in the morning sun. In the distance Tech could hear kids playing… and water- a waterfall?

The old woman that was sitting on the porch before was now rocking slowly back and forth on a rocking chair eyes closed. She was the only calm thing in the picture…

All the adults were working feverishly. There was a man with orange hair and blue glasses banging around an outdoor kitchen adding spices to a large simmering pot. Next to him was a purple haired girl. She was laughing at some sort of joke the man had just said.

There were two children: a brown and yellow bobcat and a brown haired girl playing at some type of tea party with an older golden honey-colored fox. Then two golden-grey foxes jumped out from behind a house. "Ha ha! We got you!" Cried one. He was the taller fox and the smaller one looked exactly alike except for the white circle around his eye.

"Michael!" Yelled the young bobcat. "Quit it!" She jumped up and with the brown-haired girl started to run away from the two foxes. This seemed to turn into a lively game of tag between the four children. The honey-colored fox sat there, laughing to herself as she watched them.

Three more people entered the scene from between two houses. They were each holding bundles of wood. A human man with red hair and a cowboy outfit was arguing feverishly with a grey bobcat with brown spots. "But if we could catch one and train it we could totally domesticate them!"

"And how, pray tell, are you going to separate one from its mother?" Asked the bobcat.

Between them, acting as the referee for the argument, was a tall dark woman with grey hair tied in a bun. "You two are both idiots. Just drop it already!"

"Why are you taking his side?" Asked the cowboy.

The woman glared at him. "Kim- don't make me go black belt on your a–"

The bobcat clapped a paw over her mouth. "Hey watch it Jesop! My kids are around here. And yours is too."

She shook her head and dislodged the paw. The cowboy laughed. "Yeah Terry old boy,'' said the red-haired cowboy, "Besides, my little Kelly is old enough to know not to repeat everything she hears."

"But Ellie isn't, and I wouldn't even trust the twins to hear that." Said the bobcat.

"This is just like my idea of training a baby gargler!" Said Kim.

"Not again." Sighed the woman called Jesop as the two men started to argue again. They disappeared into one of the houses and their voices died away.

Across the open center square a black haired man and a woman with blue hair and wearing white gloves were taking orders from a girl with blonde hair. The two were carrying a large beam and were heading towards a thatched house with no roof.

"Careful! Don't let it sag in the middle Jake! Suzen! Lift your end higher we have to get it on the top in one go!" The blonde shouted in a metallic voice.

The girl, Suzen, apparently lifted her end higher to go over the top of the wall. "Dylin, if this doesn't work I'm going to hurt you." She grunted.

"And it won't work if you don't move that beam to the right about an eighth of an inch. Jake! Don't let that end slide!" Dylin said. This time her voice seemed to click and almost have a whirring quality to it.

"Sorry, sorry." Jake growled as he lifted the beam over his head. He adjusted himself to hold the beam higher as Suzen ducked into the house and grabbed the beam on the other side.

"Jake, straighten your arms!" Dylin yelled, the clicked more obvious.

He grunted and straightened his arms. Then he looked upon fully intent on retorting back at how unfair this was when he caught sight of Tech and Tia. His mouth dropped open as the shock washed over him.

Dylin shouted out as the beam turned too far and fell from Jake's grasp. He stood there staring at Tia and Tech, looking absurd with his arms still up in the air. Suzen came out of the house that now only had three walls and started to yell at Jake.

"What did you do? What was that for?" She yelled. "I could 'a been crushed!"

Dylin came over and smacked Jake upside the head. "Jake! You ruined the wall! That's gonna take me days to finish!" He didn't move. "Hello? Idiot!" Still he didn't move. "What's the matter with you?"

Jake didn't say anything. The two girls followed his line of gaze to see Tech and Tia standing at the edge of the square. They too seemed stunned and no longer moved.

The orange-haired man and purple-haired woman looked up to see what the shouting was about and they too froze in a daze as they saw Tia and Tech. The golden fox was looking at Tech curiously and almost like she was afraid. The two grey foxes and the bobcat ran to her and hid behind her legs as they all fixed Tech with their stares. Everything became very still and silent.

The man, woman, and bobcat came out of the house still arguing. They're voices seemed deafening in the silence. They stopped yelling at each other as they turned to see what everyone was staring at.

Tech was now feeling very uncomfortable and vaguely wondered if this is what microscopic organisms felt like under a microscope. Even Tia squirmed slightly at this new development.

In fact, the only person who didn't change was the old woman sitting on the porch of one of the houses. She just kept rocking slowly. But she too turned her head to Tech and Tia. But instead of staring she smiled at them and spoke. "Well this is interesting isn't it?"

Everything fell silent again as the inhabitants continued to stare, mouths agape, at the two newcomers.

Then, faintly, Tech and Tia heard the sound of laughter. They looked to the left, and emerging from between two houses was Sylvia, held in Butch's arms.

Sylvia was smiling widely at Butch. But both of them sensed awkwardness. Sylvia turned to look at the honey-colored fox and then also saw Tech and Tia. She and Butch struggled for a moment as she tried to jump from his arms and he tried to put her down at the same time. Once on the ground, Sylvia straightened her shirt and put on a stern face.

She walked up slowly to Tech and seemed to grow more menacing with each step. "What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

"Uh…" Tech was totally at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say?

"He's with me Syl." Tia said, stepping forward and in between Tech and Tia.

"You know they aren't supposed to be here." Sylvia said, turning her x-ray like green eyes onto Tia. Her face was like thunder, a terrible thing to see and yet… there was something about that glare she was now giving Tia that radiated- not anger- but fear. And… hurt? Tech was almost positive it was hurt… But a second later she turned back to him. She took a step closer to him, causing Tia to step sideways. Sylvia was shorter than Ace, but she stood up on her tiptoes so she could glare straight into his eyes.

Tech stood his ground. By now they were so close that if either of them took a deep breath they would have touched. He looked back at her, trying not to look angry or scared. They stood like that for what seemed like eternity. The very air seemed to stop moving as the group waited for the judgment to fall. Tech couldn't think of anything except, 'She is so close… Too close… This is Ace's sister! She's too close… Holy… She's too close!...' But then a new look entered Sylvia's eyes and Tech's thoughts changed. 'What happened to her?' Her eyes seemed to sweep Tech with pain and longing as he stared into them. It was as though they were tiny windows into her soul. Tech started to wonder how he could have ever thought Ace hadn't done anything wrong.

But then that look disappeared and she smiled. And Tech didn't move. He was astounded. How could eyes that just expressed the deepest pain someone could ever feel just suddenly change to pure happiness? How? The thought was maddening to him.

She was still on her tiptoes when she spoke, "Welcome to the family then. I see you've already met one of us. So I guess we have to meet you." She stepped back, still smiling.

"Huh?" Tech asked. He had half wondered if he was going to be killed but now… "What?"

Sylvia laughed. From the fact that Tia had been the one to attach herself to this outsider she had already concluded that he was a genius like her. But from his current expression it looked like even Ellie could have beaten him in a game of common trivia. She smiled at him sweetly as he stood there with his mouth hanging open. "Well, you and Tia seem to be pretty well acquainted. Why deny the rest of us that pleasure?" Tech stared at her, still confused as to what was going on. "Listen, why don't you stay with us for the midday meal and we can explain everything. Okay?" Tech still looked confused. "Umm…" Sylvia thought for a brief moment, "How to say that simply…"

"Want to talk over lunch?" Asked Sven, before his mother quickly clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Yeah- what Sven said." Sylvia agreed.

Tia nudged Tech in the ribs and he came out of his daze. He blinked once. "Sure." He said. And the whole world breathed a sigh of relief.

The chief had accepted the outsider with open arms.

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**Okay. Rewrite #10 finally seemed to work…. Please review. That bit right after Tech's flashback when Lexi leaves and the morning comes. I struggled on that scene change. Please tell me what you thought!**

**But I'm trying really hard to make this story be okay and be a good piece of writing. Sorry I'm taking so long. This last bit really worked well and I'm very proud of it. So tell me what you think. Please?**

**I love you my readers! I wish I could give you all cupcakes for being so awesome. So if you review this chapter I'm giving you a virtual cupcake.**

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**And I promise that there will be more Ace in this supposed 'Ace' story in the next chapter!**


	6. Contentment

**Okay, here is chapter 6. Hopefully this story might flow a little faster. I've finally found a CD that makes me feel like writing this story. (I have a CD for all the other stories I'm writing.)**

**Anyway… we'll just get on with the story.**

**Oh! And I still don't own anything.**

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**Contentment**

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"Duck?"

"Yeah Ace?"

"Do you see what I see?"

"What? Tech acting all buddy-buddy with the enemies?"

"Crap. I was hoping I was seeing things."

Ace could not believe his eyes. But his eyes didn't lie to him. And there it was right in front of him. Tech was in the village with his sister. Not only was he there but it was like he belonged there. He was laughing, talking, asking questions- he had never been that outgoing with the team. Ace had always thought it was just his nature: smart and silent. That would mean that Tech was just weird. But this- the way he was acting with these people… Maybe it was their fault for not reaching out enough. Maybe it _was_ the team. After his talk with Lexi about what she had heard he wasn't sure anymore…

***Flashback***

"Lexi come on. What's wrong?" Ace asked. Since his… morning… Lexi had been on edge and nervous.

She shook her head answering the same way she had all day. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong."

But this time Ace was not going to let it go. He had let it go when she didn't eat during breakfast, he let it go when Rev had vainly attempted to contact Zadavia, he had let it go when they all separated to look for Tech- but not this time. He grabbed her hand and pulled her off the path they were walking. "Something's wrong. Tell me."

She looked around as if to make sure no one else was around. She opened her mouth as if to speak and closed it again thinking. 'Can I really tell Ace? I know he can keep a secret but… What if Tech finds out?...' She looked carefully at Ace. Lexi could see the plea in his eyes and decided once and for all to talk to someone about what she had overheard. Ace was, after all, the best person to tell. She sat down next to a nearby tree a little off the path to give Ace and her a little bit of privacy to what ever was in the forest.

Ace sat down next to Lexi. "What's wrong?" He said again.

Lexi took a deep breath. "Okay. Remember how I was telling you about Tech this morning?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I might have left something out…"

Ace nodded, bracing himself for what was coming. He didn't know what it was but it must be either emotional or disturbing. "Okay… so what is it?"

The next thing Lexi said was almost as fast as how Rev talked and Ace barely caught it all. "I overheard Tech and Tia talking to each other and they were talking about their families and I didn't mean to hear but they started telling each other stories about their childhood and-" She stopped. Her head dropped into her hands.

Ace scooted closer to her as he saw the sweat start to dampen the hair on her forehead. Whatever was coming must be taking a lot for Lexi to say. When she just breathed deeply into her hands and didn't continue Ace spoke. "What? What did you hear?"

Lexi lifted her head and looked straight into Ace's eyes, tears welling in her own. She could hardly think of what to say to Ace. She didn't even know how to form words anymore. "I… They… Tech… His dad… He…" She broke down, sobbing and lurched into Ace's arms.

Ace was not expecting this. Lexi wrapped her arms around his neck squeezed tightly. Ace wrapped his arms around her trying to comfort her. He didn't have a clue about what Lexi was saying to him. "Shh…" He said to her resting his chin on the top of her head. "Shh… It's okay. Just tell me. What happened between Tech and his dad?" Lexi mumbled something into his chest. "What?" He asked. Ace did not know what to expect and he felt he needed to know. If it was something that could affect the team he needed to know. Besides how bad could it be? They never got along maybe? "Lexi. What is it?"

She sat up and slowly straightened herself- determined to get this off her chest. She did not meet Ace's blue eyes. If she did she would never be able to tell him. 'I can't believe I'm about to spill Tech's secret. But I can't even think.' She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and told Ace.

"He was _beaten_." She whispered, her head down. Those words were said so quietly Ace almost didn't hear her. He hoped to god that he didn't hear her right.

"What?" He asked, afraid of the answer.

"He was…" She stopped. Lexi looked up at Ace and back down again. She didn't- couldn't look at him. Not Ace – he had always been strong. He shouldn't have to hear this… but she had to say it. She **had** to. "Beaten… by his dad!" Lexi froze not believing her own voice. She didn't look up. She didn't think she could stand seeing his face. Lexi didn't hear him say anything, but she heard him suck in a breath of air. She felt his arms around her freeze.

"God…" Ace's mind was blank. "Tech? But… no, wait a minute, he never said anything." Ace was sure that Tech would have said something. Anything! 'He would have sad something…' "He never said anything – to any of us."

Lexi nodded. "I had to tell someone but I just couldn't keep it to myself any longer. I tried to wait for Tech to talk to him but…" Her voice trailed off. She chanced a quick look at Ace. His usual confident face was gone – in it's place there was a blank look. No expression. And that scared her even more than his silence. Ace always had something to say. But now nothing. That couldn't be right.

Ace leaned back heavily against the tree. "But why didn't he ever say anything? I mean- we're his friends aren't we?" Lexi nodded. "And now he's just telling random people everything?" Ace was starting to get angry. He and Tech were friends weren't they? Why on earth would Tech tell some random person, criminal about his past when he wouldn't even tell his friends? Unless they weren't friends… "What's his deal here?" Ace asked. "Why didn't he tell any of us?"

"Ace- I don't think-" This reaction was not what she had expected from Ace at all. Ace was strong. Ace was confident. Ace didn't let stuff like this get to him. But why then if he didn't really care or even… but… Ace wouldn't let this happen to him. He was Ace! The chief! "Ace- I!" Lexi started.

But Ace wasn't listening. "Lex why wouldn't he tell us? I mean aren't we his friends?" He asked. 'Why hadn't Tech said anything before? Is it because Tech is just antisocial? Or is it… me?'

Ace's mind rebelled against the thought. 'It couldn't be my fault.' He thought. 'Okay, maybe I don't really talk to Tech – Maybe I haven't ever asked about Tech's family – Maybe I don't try to get involved with anything Tech does – Maybe I don't…' His train of rebellious thought stopped. But that was it wasn't it? He didn't. The anger that had boiled up inside him died away. He _didn't_ try to talk – he _didn't_ ask – he _**didn't**_ try to get Tech to really be a part of the team. **He** _**didn't**_.

Lexi stared at Ace. Something was dawning on him. She could tell by his eyes. He had always had expressive eyes. "Ace? What's wrong?"

Ace turned to her. He knew she was feeling just the same as he was. "Lexi- I think it's our fault."

Lexi blinked. "What? We were never there how is it our-"

"I mean about Tech not saying nuttin'." Ace said. "Have you ever actually talked to Tech about sumtin other than one of his toys?"

"No… I-" Lexi stopped the same conclusion coming to her. **She**_**didn't**_. She gasped. "And you think?"

Ace nodded sadly. "I think… he doesn't feel like a part of the team." Lexi's eyes widened."No listen- we talk to 'da others right? Right. We ask them about their families right? Rev even invited his family over and Duck tried to get Pinkster in with the team. Slam is always inviting us for pizza or wrestling or something and you and I always hang out with everyone else. But what about Tech?"

Lexi looked down and the ground, this time in shame, "No one ever tries to do anything with him." She said sadly. "Even Rev doesn't hang around him all the time."

Ace punched the tree next to him. He couldn't believe it. All this time he thought he was being a great leader. All this time he thought he knew his teammates. All this time he thought his big concern with leading was learning about the Guardian Strike Sword and keeping Duck under control. And now this.

Lexi looked up as she saw Ace punch the tree. This must have been hard on him. "Ace? It's not your fault."

"Yeah Lex it is." He said. "I'm the leader of dis team and it's my job to keep us together. It's my fault for neglecting him." 'Wow, _neglecting_? Where did dat word come from? I sound like my mother.' Ace smiled a little at the thought of his mother. She would be so happy when she heard about Sylvia. Maybe even try to get the family together… 'Wait… together…'

"Ace? What are you smiling about?" Lexi asked.

Ace turned to her and grinned. "Lex we're gonna get dis team together – and this time I mean all of us. But foist we need to find Tech."

"Ace, do you have a plan?" Lexi asked.

He nodded. "Yeah Lex. You and I are gonna see what we can do about Tech. I have a feeling that will solve a lot more problems than we think. When he gets back- we'll ask him about what you heard."

Lexi's smile disappeared. "Tell him? Ace- what if he gets mad at me?"

"Don't worry about dad Lex. Foist we gotta find him."

***End Flashback***

'Well, we certainly found him.' Thought Ace bitterly. Watching Tech interact with the criminals was grating on his nerves. Tech had been talking with his sister and her friends for a good fifteen minutes before a large man with orange hair and blue glassed brought out several large plates of food. Apparently it was a tradition in the village to have the midday meal together. Or that's what he caught from the snatches of conversation he overheard from the group. He watched as an old lady walked up to Tech and pushed a plate of food into his hands.

Ace heard her say, "You're as skinny as a rake young man. Now you take this food and we'll get you plumped up in no time." A grin pulled at his lips.

Ace smirked at Tech's reply, how often was the genius at a loss for words? "Uh… okay Granny."

"Good thing you got my name right or I'd have to whack ya!" Said the old woman cheerfully. She turned around and walked away.

Ace saw Tech grin awkwardly. At least it looked awkward to Ace. Instead of his usual lip curl, as was common among most anthropomorphic animals like themselves, Tech was smiling broadly like a human would have. Ace didn't often think about the differences between the team and normal humans but he did recognize that a coyote mouth was not really meant to smile like _that_. Not showing all of the teeth like Tech was doing at the moment. To be honest – it creeped him out a little. Ace knew that Tech was a coyote (Duck often referred to the scientist as 'the coyote' and Tech had been very insistent on the fact after Mallory showed up and continually called him a dog) but he never really thought about it. Of course, he wasn't stupid- he knew that back when humans were the only real coherent species that coyotes were the main predators of bunnies like him – but that didn't really matter nowadays. Not to Ace. Sure maybe to Rev's parents but Ace didn't care. But still…

Ace stole a glance at Duck and was a little relieved to see the mallard looked a little off-set at the sight of Tech's teeth. It really was freaky. Ace turned back to the scene. 'I'd forgotten dat Tech still had teeth like dat.' He thought. He and Lexi had teeth like most humans. Rev had really small teeth that at some points seemed almost nonexistent, and as far as Ace was concerned Duck didn't have any teeth at all. Slam had sharp teeth like Tech but he was always smiling so it never really registered. But seeing Tech smiling like that – though he was glad that his friend was happy – Ace was a little weirded out by the sight of all of Tech's sharp canine teeth.

Ace shook these thoughts out of his head. He would ask Lexi about it later right now he and Duck were still watching Tech and the group. When Ace next looked Tech was looking at Tia. They said something to each other but Ace didn't hear what it was. It seemed to be a joke as they both laughed. Ace's grating nerves were now dwindling down to one. 'Why can't Tech act that way around us?' Ace thought. But his question was answered. He heard some of the conversation drift over about what they were talking about…

"Fascinating. So you're saying that with double the current-"

"You can get almost four times the resulting wavelength. Yeah- you got it Jake." Tech finished for the man with black hair.

Ace felt a twinge of guilt. It was obvious that most of what Tech had been saying had gone over the others' heads but they still paid attention. And Tech seemed more than willing to explain things to them when they asked. Ace knew that when Tech's techno babble got to be too much for him he would just tune out. But here all the people were trying to understand. And asking questions if they didn't. Tech seemed to be in his element explaining everything to them all.

Then Ace saw the conversation start to drift to something else. Now it was Tech's turn to ask the questions. The people at the large table were telling him about their village and their families. A few asked him to contact their relatives to tell them about the grandchildren. This in turn sparked a conversation about what happened with them. And they gladly told their stories. They spoke of their crimes and trials and their families with vivid detail – making Ace's stomach twinge again. No one on the team ever told Tech something like that. It was usually along the lines of "Nice shot" on the field and "When will the jetpacks be ready again?" or "Hey Tech you want to get pizza with us?" The last question would always get a 'No thanks' response from Tech who would have been busy on the jetpacks. Ace realized that was the problem. No one ever asked him to come and meant it. It was like a formality- ask Tech then he'll say no and then we can get on with our lives.

Ace frowned as the group started to laugh at something Tech had said. 'Tech made a joke? Since when is _he_ funny?' Ace stopped his thoughts. What kind of friend was he to think like that? 'I sound like Duck.' He thought ruefully. 'Maybe that's why Tech is actually relaxed around here… 'What is it like to be viewed like that? Does Tech even realize he is viewed like that? Or does he think-' Ace's heart shuddered at his next idea, 'Or does he think it's _his_fault for not being as outgoing as the rest of the team?' Ace vowed to talk to Tech about it. He had to fix this – make it right – before something happened and Tech would just drift away from them.

"Ace? Hello Ace?" Duck said, waving a hand from front of Ace. "Are you still in there?"

Ace shook his head. He did not want to discuss his current thoughts with Duck of all people. "What Duck?" The words came out a little more forcefully than he had intended.

Duck frowned at him. "Sorrr-ee! Didn't mean to upset you 'O Moody One' But we're wanted back at the camp." He help up his wrist to show Ace a little blinking pink light. It must have been from Lexi.

Ace looked back at the group in front of him sadly.

Duck followed his gaze. Duck wasn't the most 'touchy-feely' guy in the world but he knew Ace was having a hard time with this. Of course it wasn't everyday that you find out your friend was different than you thought. "I know," he said, "It's like the world is backwards here. We're the bad guys who have to hide like common criminals." He scoffed. He knew the joke wasn't landing with the bunny. But he kept going hoping to get some sort of new emotion from his leader. "Who knew Tech was such a social guy huh?"

Ace forced a laugh at Duck's attempted wit. "Yeah- who knew?" He said. "Come on Duck – Let's jet."

---~~~```***```~~~---

"Seriously- he just told us everything!"

Butch, Tia, the CPH, Jesop, Kim, Terry, Lil and Sylvia roared with laughter.

"Are you for real? No way a crimy (crime-ee) would do that!" Jake coughed; trying not to spray the table with the bite of food he had just put in his mouth.

"Crimy?" Tech asked.

"Yeah Crimy. Our slang for criminal." Jake explained. "And no way a real crimy would do that. You must be talking about novices."

Tech shook his head. "You'd be surprised how stupid most of them are. Even the so-called 'professionals'."

Tia shook her head. "That's just sad. Really, really sad."

"Seriously," said Himilton, "that's just ridiculous. Whatever happened to the good ol days? Back when criminals were smart and the cops were dumb?"

"What? Like when you were loose?" Tia chided.

"Yeah." Said Twity dreamily, "I'm almost glad I didn't have to see the horror of new criminals."

"Amen!" The group said together, raising their glasses in a toast. Tech raised his glass as well. The people and anthros assembled looked at him strangely.

"Chances are my job would be a lot more fun with 'crimies' who knew what they were doing." He said, Jake laughed and clapped him on the back.

"We were the reason most people became involved with justice." Dylin grinned.

Sylvia smiled, "Almost like a weird kind of circle- the more criminals the more people want to help others."

"Nothing like an uncatchable criminal to entice the crowds." Kim agreed.

"Indeed." Said Dylin mechanically, "What a way to get cops that had brains. Now look what happened?" She gestured dramatically, "All the brains went to the cops and the stupid ones are left to be criminals." The group laughed, except Tech who didn't get the joke.

But Tech nodded at Dylin as they put their glasses down. "How did you make that voice box out here anyway?"

Dylin shrugged, "I just used a compound alloy from the ship's crashed remains. And after tweaking wires from the main consol of the ship into a figure suitable for a microprocessor of an electromagnimetalizer frame Tia helped me flip the reversed cabulated dome. The rest was child's play. A simple readjustment of a basic laser gun program."

"Makes sense but wouldn't it have been easier if you just double looped the ground wires to cross the main flux line into a magnetically enhanced tube line?" Tech asked.

"See?" I told you it was a good idea." Said Tia.

Jake put a hand over his eyes. "Seesh you people are giving me a headache with all your techno-babble. Quit speaking techie and start using the English language for god's sake!"

Dylin shook her head. "Average minds. They just don't get it."

"Careful what you're calling an average mind Dylin." Sylvia said. "I may think average but I can still beat you at lacrosse, bocce ball, tiddlywinks, spectacular death, elbow racing, and sheep tackling. Or in our case- Lil tackling."

"Bring it on anytime sister. I'll bocce ball, lacrosse, tiddywink, elbow race, sheep and Lil tackle and spectacular death the hell out of ya. And you still can't beat me in cricket." Dylin said to the white and black rabbit.

"We'll see after this won't we?" Sylvia said, a playful smile tugging on her lips. Tech was reminded forcefully of Ace whenever he was playing with one of their enemies. "You and me out at the field – we'll see who beats who in cricket."

"I want in on that action!" Kim said. "Jesop and I are with the rabbit!"

"Yeah? Well, Jake, Suzen, Twity and I are going with Dylin on this one." Himilton declared.

Butch laughed. "You CPH always sticking together – but I'm sorry you have no hope with me on Syl's team!" Butch said. He struck a muscle pose. "I'm invincible."

Terry and Lil laughed quietly. Tech was reminded of when the rest of the team would organize something and completely leave him out of him. Well, him and sometimes Rev. He opened his mouth to say something to them when Jesop cut him off.

"Come on Lil, Terry. Which team are you guys on?" She asked.

Terry grinned. "I'm going with you Sylvia." He said.

"What about you Lil?" Asked Kim. "We're not letting you just sit this one out."

"Someone has to be referee." She said.

"No, Granny is always the ref. You're with us." Said Jake. He looked at Terry and put his arm around him, "You're doomed now. The wife's on our team."

Terry groaned, but smiled genuinely.

"Don't worry honey I'll go easy on you." Lil said, putting one honey-colored paw on her husband's arm.

"Cricket?" Tia asked. "Not that game again!" She shook her head, "They play all the time." She whispered to Tech who smiled. "Tech and I will be with Sylvia."

Tech's grin disappeared. "What?" He asked.

"Oh come on- you really didn't think we were gonna let you escape without a game of some sort did ya?" Jesop laughed.

"Yeah. When you sit down to a meal with us you get the whole package." Twity said.

"But- but- but-" Tech stammered.

"Don't worry- cricket isn't that hard to understand." Suzen said. The group collectively laughed at the joke- except Tech who again didn't get it.

Granny came ambling over, behind her where the 4 children. "Are you kids going to play that cricket game again?" She laughed.

The kids cheered. "Yay! We're the cheerleaders!" Called Ellie.

"My dad is totally gonna beat up your dad." Sven said to Michael.

"Dude he's your dad too!" Michael said.

"I'm cheering for the new guy!" Kelly said positively. She ran up beside Tech and grabbed his ear. She pulled his head down to her level, leaned in and whispered, "You'd better win or I'll never hear the end of it." before she let go and ran off with the other kids, who were all yelling something about a cave behind a waterfall.

Tia grinned at Tech's face. It was obvious he wasn't used to being touched by other people, especially not children. "Why is it they always attach themselves to the people who really aren't comfortable with them?" Tia asked genially. She giggled as Tech shook his head and his ears twitched to rid themselves of the pinching feeling from Kelly's hands.

Granny said something to Lil about the children exploring a new cave, which Lil gave permission to before grabbing a large bowl of food for her and the children and setting off after the kids.

As the convoy of youngsters disappeared into the trees Sylvia turned to Tech, "So, tell me Tech, what exactly happened after the meteor hit?"

"Strange, strange things." He said. "Did you guys hear about any of the supercharged villains at all?"

"Oh the ones with the weird names?" Jesop asked. "Massive, Weathervane, Sypher… Those?"

"Yeah."

Tia laughed. "Oh yeah, we were able to intercept a few news casts about those guys. Man, I thought we'd die laughing."

"Good thing Tia knows how to do all that electrical stuff." Sylvia added, "That's how we found out about your team."

Tech nodded. "I thought that. We are on the news a lot."

Sylvia shook her head. "Ace was always in the spotlight. I swear it followed him." The table fell silent for the briefest of moments at the mention of the name that started the awkwardness in their village. But Sylvia just took another bite and didn't make any move to shame the name further. "So, who's the rest of the group?" Asked Sylvia.

"Well, you know me and Ace…" Tech said.

"Yeah so tell us about the rest." Kim said.

"There's Rev – he's the roadrunner – talks-like-this-all-the-time-and-gets-super-annoying." Tech said, imitating Rev's voice. The group chuckled collectively. "No," Tech said, "He's really a cool guy. He's the only one who really understands what I say most of the time."

Tia nodded. "That's why I keep Dylin around."

"Hey!"

"Ignore them. Continue please." Sylvia said.

"Well, next there's Duck-"

"Oh I've heard of him!" said Lil. "Ellie has a crush on him."

"Dear Lord, don't tell him that." Tech said seriously. "He had the biggest ego problem on the planet."

"Ouch." Said Sylvia.

"Don't get me wrong, he's a good guy and a great crime fighter. But don't tell him I said that. I mean, he's saved my tail and the rest of the team more than we give him credit for… It's just the other times that bug me. Not to mention he had the worst ringtone."

"Can't be worse than Jesop's over here. Play it!" Kim said as he put an arm around his wife's shoulder.

Jesop pulled out a small black phone and flipped it open. After pressing a few buttons it started to ring.

Both Tech and Tia started and clapped their hands over their ears.

"Turn it off!" Tia said. Jesop closed the phone.

"That's the same one Duck has." Tech said as the sound of the phone died. He heard a few trees behind him whisper about 'annoying mammals' but he concentrated on only hearing the people around him and the words faded into white noise.

Terry and Lil looked from Tia to Tech. "I've never seen anyone besides Tia act like that to the phone before." Said Terry. "Interesting…" An excited gleam came into his eyes.

"Stay away Doc." Tia said. "I've had all my shots."

"Sounds like something Slam would say." Mused Tech.

"Who's Slam?" Asked Sylvia.

"He's really the brawn of the team." Tech said before he revised his answer. "He's actually smart- but no one understands him."

"Why?" Asked Terry.

"He's Tasmanian."

The anthropomorphic animals groaned knowingly collectively. The humans exchanged baffled looks. "What does that have to do with it?" Twity said.

"Well, before anthros came along most animals, though not sentient, had their own language." Lil explained. "As we evolved each species kept it's own language alive and remembered."

"So… like how some people still practice Spanish and French because of their heritage?" Himilton asked.

"Exactly." Said Sylvia.

"But most of us learned English as well." Supplied Terry.

"The Tasmanian Devil's language doesn't translate words directly into a language. For example, translating 'Tía' into the English equivalent- 'aunt'. However, to properly translate Tasmanian you'd need to translate it into Japanese, then Kenyan, into Latin, to French to old-English to Spanish back to Latin, and then to Australian," Tech took a quick breath, 'into Swedish and back to Lain then into English." Tech said as he counted off the languages. "Wait- that was only 11 I think there's actually 12 transfusions…"

"Seesh." Butch said. "My head is spinning now."

Lil laughed, "And it doesn't help that they speak in 'Comrades' and 'My Friends' either. Their language is so sophisticated but untranslatable."

Dylin shook her head as though dislodging a fly. "That's insane."

"Which is why there are no translators." Said Sylvia.

Tech sighed, "Ever since I met Slam I've been trying to figure out how to make one but it just doesn't work. If it wasn't for the baseline I don't think I would understand anything he says."

"Baseline?" Asked Sylvia. "What's that? I mean- I know about the translation thing but-"

"Ah, the baseline." Said Terry. "It's very useful."

"It's the congruencies in the language of the predators and prey." Lil supplied.

Sylvia and the humans stared blankly at the bobcat, fox, and coyote.

"It's like what Latin was for the people in the 18th and 19th centuries." Tech said, "All 'predator' animals have words and sounds from the old languages. The same thing goes for 'prey' type animals like you Sylvia."

"Researchers think that the baseline was why predators of different species could work together and why different prey animals would help each other."

"I had no idea that you fuzzies were so complex." Said Twity.

"Don't call us fuzzies." Said Sylvia, Lil, Terry and Tech together. The humans laughed.

"Wait, isn't there one more in your group?" Asked Suzen. "I thought I counted six when you all first came here."

"Yeah… like another rabbit or something?" Asked Himilton.

Tech nodded. Of course… Lexi… how did he forget her? "Yeah, that's Lexi." He said.

"That must be horrible being the only girl on the team." Suzen said sympathetically.

Tech nodded. It was hard on her, he knew. After all, Lexi sometimes came to him to vent. Why she chose _him_ as the one to complain about guys to he didn't know. "She deals with it pretty well." He commented, more to himself than anyone else as a mental flashback of one of the many times Duck had been brain blasted for something.

"I'll bet she and Ace are good friends." Sylvia said knowingly. She knew her brother.

"Yes, they are." Tech replied. He knew her brother too. 'Ace and Lexi – always together.' Tech thought. Of course, that was expected- the two got along incredibly well. 'But still – why Ace?' Tech asked himself. He knew that he wasn't the only one who had entertained thoughts of Lexi being with them instead. It could never happen he knew but that didn't change anything.

"Ace always was in the relationship." Sylvia said. "Never liked most of the girls he brought home."

"What would he think of you and Butch then, do you think?" Tech asked before his mind caught up with what he said.

Again the table went dead silent. Since the adults were criminals they knew when a question was a potential for violence. This was one of them. Tech had snapped his mouth shut after speaking. As one, everyone in the table moved to look at Sylvia. She smiled, "Who knows? He never liked the guys I brought home either."

The group didn't move.

"It's okay you can laugh." Sylvia.

There was a ripple of chuckles around the table as the awkwardness was dispelled.

"I don't see anything funny about that last statement why are you laughing?" Called a nasal voice from behind Tech's shoulder.

"We're not listening to you G." Tia called behind her.

"We?" asked the voice.

"The new guy can hear you too." She said, jerking her head towards Tech.

"Yeah right."

"No I really can." Said Tech, he didn't know who, or what he was talking to, but they were talking to him. Tech heard a loud gasp and turned around.

"Its just G, the grape plant." Said Tai.

"So it's one of those… hearing things?" Tech asked, for lack of a better term.

"Yeah, we get a lot of information from him." Kim said and snorted. "That's funny!"

Tech grinned, "I get it – nice pun."

"Oh I think it's pretty _PUNNY_!" He said, laughing harder.

"No." Tia said as Tech shook his head. "Not funny."

Tech smiled as the conversation moved forward. It was _nice_ here. And he really was having a good time. After Sylvia had brought him in – Himilton with the glasses had started serving the midday meal. And man could the guy _cook_! Even with the limited resources the gargler tasted better than any steak he had ever eaten. 'And,' Tech had to admit it to himself, 'it's nice to have other predators around.' It wasn't very obvious thanks to the modern technology – but many of the anthropomorphic animals were vegetarians. Tech thought it stemmed from an ingrained memory that prevented most of the anthros from eating meat. Or course, predators like him and Slam had adjusted to the integration with humans well as most predators ate meat and plants. But many other 'prey animals' were still vegetarians. Even Sylvia was eating a salad of some sort instead of partaking of the gargler.

Back at the Loonatics' headquarters Tech and Slam mostly ate with each other so as not to offend the others. Tech didn't actually think the others cared but Slam had insisted on it. He may have been a brutish wrestler but the guy had manners. Not table manners of course – those had prompted Tech to build his 'Exo-Vac 2400-X' – but manners with dealing with others. And honestly, Tech was lacking in that area somewhat. But now, looking around at how much he was actually talking to the others you would have never known. And the topics weren't all about science either.

"Tech! Hello! Anyone home?" Kim asked, waving a hand in front of the scientist's nose.

"Huh?" Tech said, pulling himself out of his musings.

Kim smirked and nodded at Tia. "It's like you're clones or something. You do that all the time too Tia!"

Tia leaned close to Tech and put an arm around him. "Yeah, what can I say- we were separated at birth."

Jesop smirked to match her husband. "Riiiiight. Well if you two are so connected I say we start the game right now."

"Dear Lord no!" Tia crossed her arms over her chest. "I am not playing!"

"You don't get a choice." Sylvia said, standing up. "Come on Tia- it's not that hard to understand."

"Yes it is!" Tia said.

Lil laughed, "Even Ellie has it figured out Tia. Surely you can too."

Tia shook her head. "I just don't get the point."

Sylvia shook her head. "You hit the ball with the bat and run. What's not to get?"

"It's- it's- it's hard okay?" Tia said.

"Sure it is…" Sylvia teased. She ruffled Tia's hair. "Besides, you're on my team. We'll protect you."

"Protect?" Tia asked, slightly startled. "Wait… does that mean what I think it means?"

"Oh yeah baby!" Yelled Jake as he punched the air.

Butch grinned fiercely. "That's my girl! Oh yeah!"

Tech looked at the group who was now standing up ready to play. "What?" He asked.

Tia clapped a hand over her face. "No…"

Sylvia laughed, as Tia's face broke into a grin. "We're playing cricket. Bomb Style!"

Tech blinked. "Cricket?" He looked at Tia, his face clearly showing his confusion.

"It's an old game from Europe. Back when there were separate countries." She answered. "We just add bombs to make it more exciting."

She stood as the rest of the group moved to a large clear field next to the village. Tech followed, his scientific mind noting the details of the village. Previously, when he had looked at the village it had seemed like nothing more than a crude collection of sticks and straw. But upon closer inspection the village was more sophisticated than he thought was even possible. Every structure had lights as well as windows made of some clear material. Probably something like the glass substitute used in Acmetropolis, a sturdy plastic-like substance that falls apart in clean cuts- not jagged like glass used to. Of course it couldn't really be the same thing- unless Dylin and Tia had come up with a way to create it here… Tech made a mental note to ask Tia about it. They must have developed a cleaner way to develop the material- otherwise the huts would be coated in the grey ash that resulted in the factories in Acmetropolis.

And the huts themselves. They looked flimsy from a distance – like some lean-to out of a third-world country – but up close Tech could see that every wall was in fact a technological goldmine in itself. From what he could gather from his quick glances at the huts, the walls had a type of holographic communication system connecting them all together. In fact the entire village was about as up-to-date as the Loonatics' HQ. And considering that the village was completely cut-off from the rest of the world that should have been impossible. The reason for this was the fact that the rest of Acmetropolis had thousands of scientists constantly redesigning everything but if the people here could make the same advances with the limited resources what could be accomplished if they were returned to the center of technological advances?

Tech's train of thought was suddenly and abruptly run off track as he tripped over something in the trail. He stumbled but regained his footing and turned around to see what he had tripped on. If he hadn't known that Lexi was back at the camp with the other Loonatics he would have blamed her- the root of a plant was being withdrawn back into the earth. Then he heard the laughter. It was only for an instant that he thought it might be someone from the village before he realized it was coming from the plant itself. "Hey!" Tech snarled, as he stood up straighter. There was no way the scientist was going to take this from a plant.

Almost instantaneously Tia was at his side. "G…" She said warningly.

The laughter increased before being replaced by the same nasal voice Tech had heard earlier. "Awww- I was just havin' some fun!" It complained.

"Riiiight." Tia said. She put her hands on her hips. "You can't be doing that to people all the time." The nasal laughter continued. "We can still make wine ya' know." Tia said, the slight threat bringing to the surface the fact that she was a criminal genius. The laughter stopped.

"You wouldn't." G said, his shaking voice destroying the power of his confident words.

Tia raised an eyebrow and smiled, reminding Tech forcefully of Mastermind. "Do you really want to test that?"

Tech heard the plant make a noise much like a gulp of fear. "Geese, _sorrr-ee_." It said.

Tia's smile widened and Tech was vehemently reminded that she _had_ been banished for a crime. Over the past 24 hours he had almost forgotten about that.

"Yo! Plant-Whisperers! Let's get a move on!" called Jake from a little ways off. Everyone had already gathered in the field next to the edge houses.

Tia turned away from the plant, which was still talking to itself, and walked to the field. Tech followed, watching the ground a little more carefully.

"What? Is the new guy a freak too?" asked Twity.

Tech's natural 'nerd-instincts' (as Duck would call them) kicked in. He had been called a freak before. He knew what was meant by it. So he prepared for some sort of retort before it got out of his control. But Tia beat him to it.

"Yeah. You only wish you could be a freak like us."

"That's true. Very true, now come on! Let's start the game!"

Tech blinked. Again, the villagers had completely reversed what he had originally thought. Usually, at least for him, any sort of name was an insult of some kind. But here it seemed they relished in the fact that they were all different. It was a new experience. Sure, the Loonatics were all a little different but it was never really spoken of. Here, on the other hand, it was so… different.

"Okay so here's how the game works. Tia. Tech." Sylvia said playfully as the teams assembled and took their places. "It's really not that hard…"

"I'm telling you- yes it is." Tia said stubbornly, but still with a smile on her face.

Sylvia rolled her eyes. "Okay, now listen. You remember that old game 'baseball'? Back when there were separate countries?" The group made sounds of acknowledgement. "Well Cricket it kinda like that except not."

Tech and Tia nodded along with everyone else before both of them stopped. "Wait- just how is that supposed to help us?" They said together.

The others, who already understood cricket looked at each other blankly. "This is going to take a lot more explaining than I thought." Said Sylvia. "Okay then… let's start at the beginning…"

---~~~```***```~~~---

Ace paced back and forth. Lexi had called him and Duck back over an hour ago and still no one had any idea what to do. It had been Lexi's idea to ask the rest of the team about what to do about the current situation they were in. But for all of Slam's grunts, Rev's ramblings, and Duck's comments no plans had been able to be thought up.

Lexi sighed, "Rev are you sure you can't fix the communicators to contact Zadavia?"

Rev shook his head. "Sorry-Lexi-but-Tech-hadn't-really-gotten-to-teaching-me-about-the-communications-yet-he-was-going-to-but-he-never-got-to-it-that-really-stinks-huh-considering-that-would-probably-rea-hee-heally-help-us-out-here."

"Why can't you fix it though?" Ace asked.

"Tech's-the-real-genius-here-and-he-created-this-system-not-me-so-naturally-it's-going-to-take-a-little-bit-for-me-to-figure-out-how-everything-works-and-a-bit-to-figure-out-what-he-says."

"I thought you two geeks understood each other perfectly." Duck said sarcastically.

Rev shot Duck a dirty look. "Tech-and-I-may-be-geeks-but-he's-in-a-completely-different-class-I-understand-what-he-says-most-of-the-time-thanks-to-my-pop-but-some-of-the-stuff-he-says-just-goes-over-my-head."

"Ugblstuffa dominto?" Asked Slam.

The others looked at him. Apology in their eyes, "Sorry Slam I didn't catch that." Ace said.

Slam sighed inwardly. He knew about the baseline- unluckily for him it didn't do him any good around the rest of the team. He shrugged and waved his hand to indicate the statement wasn't really important.

Ace blinked. 'Great another problem to deal with.' It was never really something he thought about but having a team member you really don't understand isn't really a good thing. 'I'll have to figure out something so we all can communicate better. Maybe Tech can-' Oh right. _Tech_. Ace shook his head. He wasn't going to let that bother him now.

"Well, what are we going to do then?" Asked Duck. "It's not like we're helping anything by sitting around here. Come on Ace- why don't you just talk to your sister?"

"It's not that simple Duck."

"Yes it is." Duck said.

"No. It's not. Fights between us aren't that quickly solved."

Duck stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. "What? Is that a shot cause I don't have any brothers or sisters?" Ace didn't reply. "Look here bud- I'll have you know I've had to deal with stuff like this before. And the easiest way is to just talk about it."

"Dealt-with-this-before?" Asked Rev. "What-do-you-mean-Duck?"

"When I was back in the orphanage I was one of the oldest there. So a lot of the little kids looked up to me." Duck said. "There was this one kid, Max I think, that sort of adopted me as his older brother. I really didn't think anything of it. But one day he just stopped talking to me. At first I was glad you know? Finally that little annoying brat was keeping his distance. But then I got worried. So I did the only thing I could to figure out what was wrong. I talked to him. It took a few days to finally get it out of him and months before he completely trusted me again." Duck sat down next to Ace, who refused to look at him. "You gotta trust me on this. If you just go and talk to her I'm sure things will get better."

Ace stood up abruptly. "No. It's not that simple Duck. You don't get it."

Duck stood up too – except on top of the log bringing him up to Ace's height. He poked one orange finger in Ace's chest, "Look- I don't know what went wrong between you two but unless you were the one that framed her I doubt she'll really do anything to you!"

"How do you know?" Ace yelled. "You don't know anything Duck!"

"Oh really? Ace she's your sister! Can you really truly picture your sister trying to kill you?" Ace opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. The Mallard had a point. Ace couldn't picture Sylvia really doing anything to him. But that look in here eyes…

"Look…" Duck said, a slightly softer tone coming into his voice, "I'm sure that if you just go and talk to her something's bound to happen."

Ace grinned slightly, "What? No 'something good's gonna happen'?"

Duck rolled his eyes. "Hey- that chick's stuff Lexi's department. I'm just the guy saying something other than us sitting on our butts is gonna happen."

"Hijruks oh keluhps- pleetttsfs Lexi?" Slam said, looking around.

Ace, Duck and Rev, though they had no idea what he said, followed suit and looked around. "Yeah, where did Lex get off to?" Ace asked no one in particular he tapped his wrist communicator and sent a message to Lexi.

No one answered. Seconds later a large explosion sent a large dark mushroom cloud into the sky. Ace stared at it for a second. "Shouldn't there be some sort of an aftershock or something?"

Rev opened his beak to reply but even he wasn't fast enough as he, Duck, Slam, and Ace were all thrown backwards as the shockwave reached them.

A few seconds passed as everyone took a deep breath. "What the heck was that?" Asked Duck as he rematerialized away from the dog pile Loonatics.

"My-guess-would-be-some-sort-of-an-explosion-sort-of-like-a-nuclear-bomb-that-was-used-in-the-past-during-the-conflict-known-as-World-War-2-and-when-the-other-countries-annihilated-each-other-but-it-was-much-much-much-much-_much_-smaller-than-the-ones-used-then-otherwise-we'd-be-nothing-more-than-black-splotches-I-wonder-where-that-came-from-it-doesn't-make-sense." Rev gasped, "Wait!-What-about-Tech?-And-Lexi?-I-hope-they're-alright.-I'd-hate-to-be-the-guy-caught-in-the-middle-of-_that_."

---~~~```***```~~~---

Lexi giggled, unaware of the remainder of the Loonatics wondering where she was. She was too absorbed in watching the villagers playing Cricket. Which Tech actually seemed to be good at. From her vantage point in the bushes Lexi felt like a little kid watching a cartoon. The two teams were chasing each other back and forth. First Tech and his team were chasing the team with the four humans and then the four humans were chasing Tech's team as they ran pell-mell towards their goal. Lexi's father had taught her how to play the original game of Cricket so it was easy enough for her to see they were playing some sort of adaptation of the game. Then someone dropped the ball and they all ran after it before it started rolling the other way while the teams ran away from it. Lexi joined in the laughter as the 'ball' went off a few feet away from the cowboy- Kim. He shook the ash out of his hair grinning widely and laughing with everyone else. A whistle blow semi-quieted everyone down.

"And that ladies and gentlemen-" started Granny, the whistle dropping from her mouth.

"IS GAME!" Shouted the children.

Granny smiled at them. "No but close. We're only in the second part."

"IS ALMOST GAME!" The kids corrected themselves.

Granny smiled. "Very good children. Now let me give them the score. Why don't you go an get the next bomb ready?"

"Okay!" Kelly, Ellie, Michael, and Sven ran off to a small table by one of the houses to get the next bomb.

"I tell you we totally killed!" Jake said. You put up a good fight but we were invincible."

"Yeah right Jake." Sylvia said, wiping a piece of dirt off her nose. "Go on Granny- what's the score?"

"So far- its Sylvia's Team with:" She paused for dramatic effect, "57." Sylvia and her team cheered and high-fived. "And The CPH's team has:" again she paused, "62."

"Ah-HA! Told ya!" Dylin said. "You just can't beat me."

"Hang on Dylin- we're up to bat now." Tia said. "I'm right- right? We are up to bat now- right?" She said aside to Tech.

"I think so- I'm still trying to figure out how on earth we got 57 points. I thought you couldn't get any points unless you were at bat."

"Well, you'd think so" Butch said, as he and the rest of the team circled up to form a strategy for the next round, "But this is Granny. The real score probably like 5 to 0 or something. But there is supposedly a reason to the way she counts score."

"Besides- we're just having fun." Terry said. "So Sylvia, you're the strategist- what's the plan?"

"Hmmm." Sylvia said. "Tech- Tia- you guys getting along okay? Sorry we just kinda gave up explaining and threw you in."

"Nah- we're fine." Tia said.

"Yeah. I think we're doing okay." Tech said. Though Tia was sweating and Tech was panting they both sported wide smiles. "What next?"

"Batting." Jesop said. "Tia it's your turn."

"Doesn't anyone else want to go?" Tia said. "I mean that bat's as big as I am."

"Naw- it's your turn." Said Kim. "Don't worry about it- you'll do fine."

"Fine. But I'm not going to like it." Tia resigned.

Sylvia put a hand on her shoulder. "It doesn't matter if you like it- you just have to do it. Even Tech tried."

"Don't remind me." Tech said, trying not to remember (at least in his mind) his horrible batting turn.

"No way man- you were awesome. No form whatsoever but hey- you're new at this." Butch said, clapping the coyote on the back and causing him to lurch forward slightly.

"Come on- let's go- we ain't got all day!" Called Jake. "Enough planning get up to bat!"

"Let's do this!" Sylvia said. She put her hand into the center of the circle.

Everyone followed suit, putting his or her hands one on top of the other. They didn't say anything but together they put threw their hands up in the air and shouted, "For the Collective!"

Tech smiled as he followed Butch and Kim to the end of the field. It still amazed him how well everyone got along. He hadn't seen any of them so much as say a harsh word to each other since he had first arrived when Dylin had yelled at Jake and Suzen when they had dropped the beam through the wall. Since then, friendly banter and comebacks had been the extent of any signs of hostility in the group. And that was more than could be said for the Loonatics.

Often, he and Rev would get into an argument that would escalate to a fistfight of some sort. And Tech knew that when Ace and Duck would spar in the training room- it got out of hand every once in a while. Not that they didn't like each other. Tech suspected it was Ace trying to burn off steam from being the leader and Duck taking it personally.

*WHACK* The sharp sound of the bomb colliding with the flat cricket bat pulled Tech out of his musings. Tia had hit the bomb perfectly, a nice pop fly into the far left field. She was stunned and didn't start running until Sylvia started yelling at her. It was pretty funny watching Tia, who was about as big as the bat she had just used, with an oversized helmet on running between the posts as she scored points. Tech and Butch ran after it- hoping to get to the bomb before the other team.

Before they got there Terry had stolen it right from the air in front of a stunned Jake. He started to run with the bomb. Lil popped out of nowhere and ripped the bomb out of her husband's hands. Terry didn't notice and kept running until he tried to pass the now gone bomb. Tech and Butch ran past the confused Terry after Lil- who was heading towards the designated 'out' spot on the far side of the field. It was then that Kim and Jesop practically flew over the field and jumped over Lil who dropped the bomb. Kim was able to grab the bomb and headed the opposite way.

Kim and Jesop (once they had gotten far enough away from the rest of the players) started a classic distraction technique. The two of them swayed on the spot- looking exactly like they were drunk. They started yelling random words- slurring everything they could.

Lexi covered her mouth. She was almost doubled over watching the two 'drunk' players. Her father, a very proud British-heritage rabbit from the land that used to be known as Watership Down, had taught her and her brother to play traditional Cricket. What she was watching was the new version with a bit more running for the rest of the teams. Her father had shown her this style saying it wasn't anything special. He had dubbed it 'Not-Cricket'. She looked at her wrist and noticed that she had been missed by Ace. She laughed as the teams chased each other around trying to score. Then she stood up and made her way quickly back to the camp.

But the players didn't seem to care. They were all laughing hard as Kim and Jesop clung to each other as though they couldn't stand straight. "Thisssss isssssh funn!" Kim yelled. "I shhhhaid weeeeed win! Nuh!"

The CPH laughed, falling for the trick. Kim and Jesop instantly snapped back to a sober state and threw the bomb as hard as possible to a space occupied by no one.

Tech saw the bomb sail through the air. He had been able to grasp enough of the rules to understand that if his team got the ball to the 'out' spot they would get extra points. So he started to run to catch it. It was during the fall that the wick went out. No one noticed as Tech reached for the bomb. His hand just closed around the bomb when all hell broke loose.

The teams could only watch in horror as their new friend grabbed the bomb and then exploded.

The bomb went off with enough power of 5 of them. The smoke that came from the explosion threw everyone back into the ring of houses around the field. Dirt was thrown up into the air as the bomb carved a crater. A large, dark mushroom cloud grew over the field, causing the entire area to go into semi-darkness.

The group recovered quickly. Lil and Jesop immediately locating their offspring. That's when they figured it out. They all walked slowly to the edge of the crater.

It wasn't terribly deep or wide but considering it came from one bomb it was very impressive. Nothing was there except a small pile of ash at the bottom of the crater and a few charred remains of a few trees that had been caught in the explosion.

Jake was the first to speak as they all gazed at the crater. A think trail of smoke rose from the center. The realization was dawning on all of them. "Oh my God…" He whispered. "We killed him."

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**Wow. 22 pages of writing… I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I gotta say this was the hardest point. It's the big bridge chapter. I have the rest of the story planned out from here on out. Now it's just the difficultly of finding time to actually type it out.**

**And do any of you remember those eyes at the end of Chapter 4? Well they're coming back next chapter. I promise. Actually you all have a really good chapter happening next. Chapter 7 has lots of action.**

**Please Read and Review! I really want to know how the cricket scene ended up doing. Did you understand any of it?**

**Okay- enough. I'm going to bed. (It's 11 here.) Then tomorrow I'll start on the next chapter. So Read and Review!**


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